


Mz. Hyde

by StakeTheHeart



Category: Victorious
Genre: Demonic Possession, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-02
Updated: 2015-04-02
Packaged: 2018-03-20 22:32:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 26,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3667692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StakeTheHeart/pseuds/StakeTheHeart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jade buys an old ring in a suspicious shop. Suddenly, thoughts are no longer hers and actions are no longer under her control. Was she going crazy? All Jade knew was that she was loosing herself and it had to do with the ring. There was definitely something more to it than she thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Girl, You Better Run For Your Life!

I really needed to get out of my house before I was driven to violence. Lucky for me, just getting out of the house was enough to pull me out of the heated thoughts running through my head that concerned my overbearing father. I wouldn't let him bring me down though, so I left. I walked with my hands tucked in the pockets of my black hoodie. I briefly considered dropping by to see Cat, just to hear the bubbly redhead ramble without end. If anything it could kill some time even though I never liked her nonsense.  **But** , it  **would**  get my mind off my anger, which Beck always reminded me to get a grip on. I scoffed and shook my head. Beck…I was still listening to him even when we broke up. He had broken up with me for reasons I was still unclear about. He only told me we would continue to be friends and gave me the stupid advice to keep my eyes open for that special someone. I guess listening to him was the next best thing to accepting his choice to let me go.

It had hurt but I didn't allow myself to think too much about it. What's done was done. He had his reasons and I respected them. Emotion in general though, whether it was expressing it or dealing with it in any way, was not my strong point in the first place so I left it alone. It didn't matter. I had other sources of support from Andre, Cat, and…Vega of all people. Even when I was mean to her she was still there for me. Good days, bad days, sick days, none of that mattered when it came to Vega. She was always there for her friends. My initial hate for her was because she had kissed Beck, but afterwards, I still had no idea why I didn't like her. Honestly, I didn't really mind the half Latina. I thought about that often; the fact that Vega no longer bothered me as much. Her presence was sometimes welcome now. Wind nipped at my exposed face suddenly and I sighed, my breath visible in the air as I pressed my arms closer to my body in an attempt to warm up.

I raised my head from staring at my feet to see a small, old building come into view. I had seen the poor excuse for a shop many times on my way to school but I never stopped to check it out. To be honest, its dank exterior drew me in and the dark atmosphere inside piqued my interest. I didn't doubt that there could be a whole plethora of gruesome things to collect in a place like that. I dug in my back pocket to make sure I had my card on me before making my way to the dingy glass entrance. Heck, maybe getting another strange object to add to my already vastly morbid collection in my room would boost my mood into tolerable. A small bell sounded as I pushed open the door and stepped into the dimly lit shop. A quick scan of my surroundings turned up half dusty shelves full of various knick-knacks, glass sculptures, tomes bound in leather, old dolls, jewelry, and toys among other things. I took no more than three steps forward before a wheezing voice made me almost jump, a curse muttered from my scowling lips.

"Have your eye on something Miss?" the insubstantial tone questioned from the shadows. A stooped old man shuffled out from behind a high shelf to stop in front of me. He watched me with beady eyes while his hands slightly shook as he set down an elegant clock on a nearby table. A frown worked its way on my face. It figures he would be in charge of a shop like this. I cleared my throat to make sure I got his attention and stood with my arms crossed before answering him.

"What have you got in the way of skulls?" I questioned, hopeful he had a few lying around. His thick, bushy white eyebrows rose before he nodded and hobbled to the other side of the shop. I followed him at a distance as we wound through shelves and tables to stop at a glass display case housing various animal skulls and one very deformed skull that looked slightly human but definitely wasn't. Its teeth were strangely sharp and pointed like a shark's; the kind that weren't wide and serrated but just as deadly.

"Take your pick," he told me as his rheumatic hand gestured to the remains in a slow wave over the case. I took a few steps closer to see better and my eyes automatically fell on a skull that resembled a cat's. The slender, smooth, off white drew me in. It was almost perfectly intact and elegant. I raised my hand to point it out when something else caught my eye. In the neighboring display case sat a ring resting on black velvet. The band was made up of wings that resembled a dragon's curving up and around to shape the accessory. Red streaks made of some jewel ran throughout the metallic dark gray wings. I must have been staring a long time at it because the storekeeper took notice and leaned a little to the side so he could look at me when he began to explain.

"Ah, I see you found the ancient Demon's Bane. It is said to have belonged to a man who sold his soul for the power of invincibility and wealth. He received this power in full from a very strong demonic being who granted him his wish through the use of that ring. It came to be here by the man's brother who didn't want anything to do with it. You see, he told me his brother died of suicide shortly after he started wearing the ring. It seems the ring did not work in that way for him," the old man laughed, the hacking sound cut short by a cough. I tilted my head curiously, not believing one word the old geezer said, yet it still interested me. It was a brilliantly cut ring and the shimmering red seemed to call to me.

"How much for it?" I asked, my gaze still focused on the ring. The man gave me a calculating, studious narrowing of his eyes before he finally shrugged, his face relaxed.

"Only sixty; I see no worth in it besides its back story. Truthfully, the jewel it contains doesn't seem to be of any I've seen and looks to be plastic to me. Its story is quite a remarkable one but I'm sure it was only a lie to get it to sell," he grumbled as he pulled out keys to unlock the case. I mentally noted how the merchant had told the story. He didn't seem uninterested in it then. On the contrary, he seemed uneasy and a little in awe. It was possible he just wanted it off his hands, but why?

"Whatever, here," I stated as I flipped out my card between two fingers. I wasn't in the mood to question anything no matter how weird he was being. He took it and shuffled over to the cash register. After he rung up my purchase, he dug under the counter, sounds of boxes colliding with one another as he searched for the right one.

"Don't bother, I'll wear it," I told him to save him the trouble. That was what the ring was for anyway. Something registered in his gaze that I wasn't able to discern it. He hesitated in handing over the accessory for only a second before he nodded and held the ring out to me delicately. I took it from his shaking hand and slipped it on my left middle finger. It fit perfectly, snug and sleek.

"There are no returns," the old man wheezed warily, slapping my card on the counter. I looked up to question him but he was already scuffling through a door behind the counter, going as fast as he was able. My eyebrows furrowed as I glanced down at the glinting wings encircling my finger. I pocketed my card and shrugged before I turned on my heel and exited the shop to begin my walk to Cat's house. I was still very much unwilling to return home. I was glad Cat didn't live too far from here. It was great when my father was in a bad mood and all I wanted to do was escape. I rounded the corner into the cul-de-sac that Cat lived in and walked up to her door. Two knocks later and it swung open to reveal my hyper, redheaded friend I had known since elementary school. She hadn't changed at all since then. It was so simple and easy to spend time with Cat. Just like her name, all anyone had to do was be around her to be happy. She needed no special attention and just opted to find something to do on her own. Hanging out with her was the complete opposite of being at home. It was the reason I put up with her more than energetic personality. Her addiction for sweets didn't help things but Cat was Cat and I was glad I had her.

"Jade! I didn't know you were coming! How exciting!" she practically squealed, hopping up and down and clapping before opening her arms for a hug.

"Yeah, don't make me rethink my decision either. Andre's was my next choice but he lives farther away and I'm not too fond of the idea of walking that far," I replied, ignoring her request for a hug and making my way past her to stand inside. Andre's house was relaxing and laid back up until his grandma flipped her lid, then it was just plain annoying. Harder to tolerate then Cat bouncing off the walls in my opinion. At least Cat could be distracted into doing something else while Andre's grandma just kept going without restraint or sign of stopping. Not even Cat's brother was that crazy.

"Why don't you get a ride?" Cat wondered, a finger going to her chin in thought after closing the door behind us.

"Because my car is in the repair shop for a busted light and I'm not asking my jerk-wad of a dad for any favors, that's why," I snapped back, pulling my hands from my hoodie pockets to cross my arms in irritation. Cat gasped with a hand over her mouth.

"You had another fight?" she questioned in concern.

"Yes, what gave it away?" I retorted sarcastically, sighing when I saw Cat's sad face turn into a pout.

"Look, I don't want to talk about it," I rephrased as I looked away. Cat nodded and wrung her hands until I stopped her, smacking them away from each other.

"I'm fine, ok? I just need to stop thinking about it. How about we watch a movie or something to kill time?" I offered. Cat immediately cheered up, knowing if she didn't jump on the opportunities I gave her I would leave. I always put her on a natural time limit or else we would be standing around all day wondering what to do instead of actually doing anything.

"Ok! Let's watch Enchanted and sing along with the songs!" she exclaimed happily as she dragged me to her room, laughing all the way. I rolled my eyes but allowed her to plop me on the bed before rushing around to find the movie. I held back any and all biting comments at the disliked selection. After all, I did want to take my mind off my frustrated anger; even if it involved a Cat look alike running around New York. I sat and watched the movie but I was in no mood to sing once the songs came along, which didn't take long. I was just too preoccupied with the ring that seemed warm on my skin. I had taken a break to use the restroom and took the ring off to wash my hands.

The second the ring was back on my hand, it seemed to be slightly tighter than before. I had stared at it for a long time, wondering if I was nuts, before dropping the idea and returning to Cat. Through the movie I ran a finger over the ring's intricate design, still wondering if its story was real or not. After the movie was over, Cat offered me lunch which I agreed to. By the time we finished I couldn't put off going home anymore. Cat grabbed me in a hug before I could say anything. She giggled at my frown and waved, then I reluctantly trudged back home. I was on my way to my personal hell hole. At least I had some time away from it, but that didn't change the fact that I didn't want to go back.

I entered my home on quiet feet. My dad seemed to be out so I walked straight for my room. Tomorrow would be a school day and I was actually looking forward to going. My friends were goofballs and dorks but I knew they would make me feel better even if I didn't show that they did. The next few hours were spent finishing any homework I had and listening to music to get it done faster. Once I was finished, I got into my pajamas, which consisted of gray sweats and a black tank top, then I hopped in bed and tried to get comfortable. My patterned dark red walls stared back at me. I glanced around the room at the various objects I had collected, thinking about the ring that now sat on my desk. The light of the moon seemed to focus on it in a surreal way. Eventually, my thoughts finally dulled and I was able to fall asleep.

I woke up with a start and glanced at the clock. Damn, I woke up thirty minutes before my alarm was set; again. I groaned in irritation, pushed my dark hair out of my face, and then reached over to hit the button before it could go off. I was awake now so I decided to get up and hop in the shower. After I was dressed, I searched for my phone and pocketed it. I grabbed my ring on the way out and slipped it on my finger as I went downstairs. I walked into the kitchen to see my dad getting his daily morning coffee. I offered no greeting and he did the same. I made some coffee for myself; black with two scoops of sugar. My dad only glanced at me before I walked out and back to my room. I scooped up my bag and sat on my bed until it was time to face him. When that time finally came, he stuck his head in, told me he was leaving, and I followed him out. The ride to school was silent and I offered no parting words when I opened the door to get out. As I walked up to the school I caught a glance of Beck talking to some girl in the parking lot. It had been a month since our break up but I was still possessive of him; if only because I still cared. I frowned and pushed open the door to Hollywood Arts, entering a bright and loud atmosphere.

"Hi! How are you feeling?" Cat asked as she ran up to me. I only spared her a glance before walking past her, a silent command to follow.

"I'm fine Cat. Better than yesterday actually," I answered in a monotone. I busied myself with putting my book in my locker as I talked.

"That's good! I was so bummed yesterday because you were sad and my brother was sad too now that I think about it. He accidentally-" she began but I cut her off.

"Cat, I don't want to hear about your brother," I told her bluntly.

"Oh, ok," she replied reservedly. I reassured Cat that I was fine one last time before walking off to my first class of the day. By the time lunch rolled around I was ready to go home and sit in my dark room. My mood was starting to take a downturn and I knew just the person who was sure to get most of it. I sat at our usual bench out at the Asphalt Café. Vega was already there, eating her salad with her stupidly bright smile that almost rivaled Cat's hyper one. She looked up hesitantly and the smile faltered when I approached but I didn't say a word once I was seated. Her brown eyes occasionally searched for my blue-green ones. I knew it was her silent way of understanding when I was in a bad mood.

"Vega, keep your eyes on your food and not on me will you?" I snapped at her.

"You ok?" she asked, ignoring my comment completely. I finally looked up at her, slightly surprised she was unfazed. Usually she frowned at my retorts, but this time she didn't.

"I'm fine I guess," I replied, playing with my own salad. Her gaze transformed into concern.

"Something's off today. I don't exactly know what it is but…hey is that a new ring?" she asked, pointing to it, clearly distracted. I lifted my hand to look at it, the metal glinting in the sun and the red weaving through it glistening like blood.

"Yeah, I got it yesterday," I replied before going back to my food, my hand falling to my lap. Vega tilted her head curiously and opened her mouth to ask something else when the rest of our friends showed up, minus Rex, to which I was grateful. Beck glanced at me uneasily before taking a seat by Andre who sat next to Vega. Cat sat on my other side, effectively cutting me off from being next to Beck.

"So chica, how's your day going?" Andre asked Vega.

"Oh, besides trying to learn how to play another instrument I completely fail at, I'm great," she replied. If I didn't know any better I would say Vega's sarcasm skills were getting better.

"Sucks for you," I commented blandly to make up for my semi complimentary thoughts.

"And I suppose you know how to play an instrument?" she retorted, her eyebrow rising.

"Yes, in fact I do. I know how to play the piano and a little bit of guitar," I informed her, slightly insulted my musical talent was being called into question.

"I know how to play a blade of grass!" Cat piped in. Everyone looked at her.

"Cat, a blade of grass isn't an instrument," I told her.

"Oh, well, I also play a little violin," she supplied with a shrug, mimicking the movements of playing the instrument.

"No, you don't know how to play that," I scoffed with a shake of my head.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she exclaimed, a look of intense hurt on her face. I sighed and looked away. Vega gave me a frown before speaking up.

"Being able to play a blade of grass takes a lot of talent, Cat," Vega told the sad redhead. Cat immediately brightened.

"Yay!" she cheered. Beck and Andre shook their heads before starting to eat. Vega smiled but I sent her a sideways glare.

"You always seem to ruin the fun, Vega," I said under my breath.

"Only for you," she responded just as quietly, not even looking at me. I looked up at her. She was now in a conversation with Andre about some project. What was that supposed to mean? Great, now  **I**  sounded like Cat. I rolled my eyes and looked back down at my salad. I tried to concentrate on eating and ignoring the way I was feeling over the comment. After school was over Vega caught up to me and stopped me at my locker.

"Hey Jade, I heard you didn't have a ride home…or you just don't want to take it; wait, that came out wrong. What I meant to say was-" she babbled, her hands gesticulating as she attempted a sentence. I frowned and leaned on the lockers with crossed arms.

"Spit it out," I demanded. She halted in her rant and nodded hastily.

"Right, well, I was wondering if you needed a ride," she finally said, her fingers clasped in front of her, a signal she was nervous but hopeful.

"I'm not taking offers from Trina. I don't want to have to pay back that no talent sister of yours. I'd rather walk home," I responded.

"No, I mean, I have my license now. I'll give you a ride," she offered again. I looked up into the smiling face of Tori Vega and frowned.

"Why?" I questioned simply.

"Well, I know you aren't feeling too good and, um…I don't know. I guess I want to help?" she replied uncertainly. Her hands began to fiddle as I took time to process my answer. I never did like Vega but she was always nice to me. Sure she fought back when it was needed but I was always the one who started it. I glanced down and my ring was the first thing I saw. A strange feeling came over me and then I nodded without really putting much thought into why I took the offer.

"Sure," I finally responded. Vega smiled brightly.

"Ok then, whenever you're ready," she said, gesturing to me. I slammed my locker and followed the youngest Vega out of school, all the while wondering if it wouldn't hurt to be nice to her once in a while.


	2. In The Daylight

The only conversation between us on the ride home consisted of giving Vega directions. For the most part, no one besides Beck had ever been to my house. It briefly crossed my mind that Vega was closely becoming the second. She pulled up outside and parked the car then she turned to say something but thought better of it and remained quiet. I raised a brow but said nothing. Instead, I grabbed my bag and popped open the door, ready to get out, when Vega grabbed my wrist. I turned back to look at her.

"Um, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here," she mumbled.

"I know," I replied with a nod. Vega looked up and her small smile turned into a full one. She released my wrist and waved. I got out, slung my bag over my shoulder and then walked up to my house. Homework seemed to keep me busy by the time my dad got home. By then, anger and yells were tossed between us as he spouted out demands. I told him to fuck off and slammed my door in his face. I sat on my bed, my dad's angry expression still branded in my mind. I knew he must have talked to my mom sometime that day. Their divorce hadn't been for nothing after all. I just wished my mom had taken me before he could. Working on homework was pointless when I couldn't concentrate.

I tried to clear the negative thoughts from my head but I couldn't so I stood, readying myself to take a shower. The last thing I took off was the ring which I set on the counter. The warm water soothed some of my knotted muscles after almost an hour. Finally feeling better, I got out, returned to my room to place the ring on my desk, and started up on my work again. When I was done, I fell back on my bed to relax. It was nowhere near the usual time I went to bed but I fell into a heavy sleep regardless. By the time my alarm went off, I still didn't want to get up. I felt like I went through emotional whiplash and blamed my dream, whatever I had been dreaming about.

Getting ready for the day was a slow event that seemed like a repeat of other days until my phone went off. I swiped the device out from under my pillow and opened the text. Vega had asked if I needed a ride to school. I replied with my usual snipped response, 'Obviously'. I slipped on the ring, wincing when it felt like the piece of jewelry simultaneously burned and tightened on my finger. What the hell? I moved to pull it off but a familiar car outside caught my attention, halting any further action I was going to take. My dad hadn't left when I made my way downstairs. In fact, he was currently looking out the window with a calculating expression.

"Where's Beck?" he questioned me with an edge to his voice.

"What do you care?" I sneered, wrenching open the door and slamming it on my way out. I stomped over to the car parked outside my house and got in. Vega seemed to pick up on my mood almost immediately.

"Jade…you ok?" she questioned hesitantly. I looked over at the always sunny half Latina and nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be fine once we leave," I replied evenly. Vega gave me an uncertain glance before pulling away from the curb and heading for school. The silence was relatively tense the whole way. Vega looked like she wanted to say something but thought against it and stayed quiet. That was fine by me. When I was in a bad mood it was best to leave me alone. After all, it wasn't every day I let her get as close as she was currently. I rarely let anyone get close to me. Beck was the only one. She glanced at me again. I caught her staring and lifted my pierced brow at her. What was her problem? She seemed tense and uncertain. We stopped at a red light and I caught her staring at the ring with a frown.

"You mind stopping by Jet Brew? I need coffee," my stern voice cut through her thoughts, making her snap out of whatever thought process she was in the middle of.

"Sure," she replied, locking her eyes forward to avoid any more distractions. She waited for me in the car when I went in. By the time I came out, I held two coffee cups. I figured I could extend some form of thanks for putting up with me. Vega leaned over to open the passenger door for me when I got back. I pushed it the rest of the way with my hip and then sat down. I passed one to Vega, switched the other, and then shut the door. Vega held her coffee with confusion written all over her face. I saw it and my trademark smirk appeared.

"What, I can't get my sometimes-friend a coffee?" I asked her. Vega was quick to reply.

"No, no of course. I just thought that…well, I was under the impression we weren't friends at all," she responded, holding the warm cup between both hands. Her eyes refused to look at me. The smell of hazelnut came from the cup in her hands and her smile was just on the verge of returning. I could see it curling her lips just so. I knew it was her favorite just like she knew mine was black with two sugars.

"Look Vega, I know I haven't treated you like a friend but I know a good person when I see one even though saying that makes me sick. But you've helped me before so there's my thanks. Why are you even questioning it anyway? Just shut up and drink the coffee," I grumbled, sipping my own before putting my seat belt on with one hand. I frowned and avoided her gaze, knowing she was smiling happily now. She took a drink of the coffee, put it in the cup holder, and then started up the car. As soon as she shut the car off outside Hollywood Arts, I quickly exited and walked off, unwilling to stick around. She rushed after me.

"A good deed never goes unpunished," I mumbled to myself. Vega fell into step with me not a moment later, that stupid smile still on her face. We stepped into school together but parted ways to go to our respective lockers. I was gone before Vega was done getting what she needed. I sat in my first class a few minutes later, my thoughts slowly returning to Vega, to my annoyance. Why I always had her on my mind I didn't want to know. I made sure to participate in class to keep my thoughts occupied and keep her out. Once Sikowitz's class came around, I was calmly leaning back in my chair. I barely heard our crazy teacher talking the whole time until the announcement for a video project came up.

"So, I want you all to think up a great horror themed short film and have it due Monday of next week," Sikowitz explained. I perked up at the news. Finally, something I excelled at. Andre chose to speak up.

"Are we allowed a group?" he asked.

"Good question. Yes, you may have up to three people, but I'd be most pleased to see you strike out on your own," he responded. At the news of being able to have more than one partner, the class began planning. No one stopped until the bell rang and the students filed out, deep in conversation. I hurriedly left to lunch, grabbed myself something to eat, and then headed for our group's usual spot when I saw Vega had beat me there.

"Damn, and I was making such progress," I complained under my breath. Beck sat next to her. If I didn't know better, he was channeling his Brit-with-no-space-boundaries; except he didn't have the accent. Vega sat, food untouched, with an uncomfortable expression. She obviously wasn't happy with his proximity and I wondered why. Didn't she want Beck ever since she got here? It didn't look like she wanted him now. Her eyes shifted to land anywhere but him and she constantly scooted away when he advanced. I found myself getting angry at him. I had to admit I was slightly jealous, but of who I didn't want to know. I marched over with the only food I could get from Festus, a burrito, and sat next to Vega. I shot daggers at Beck who ignored me. As soon as Vega caught sight of me, relief flooded her features and she smiled. I gave her my usual questioning raise of my brow but she just continued to smile.

"Hey Jade, what's up?" she asked cheerfully. Beck was returning my glare with full force and Vega was glancing at me then him and back to me before she stood, walked around to my other side and sat back down. I couldn't resist the smug smile that replaced my scowl. Now Beck was the one frowning. I may not like Vega but the fact she was choosing me, her supposed frenemy, over him was a small victory I had no qualms about silently celebrating. Take that you over confident Canadian.

"Dude, what's your problem?" I asked, even though I knew exactly what his problem was. I just wanted to rile him up a little more. He fell right into my trap.

"You know what  **you're**  problem is Jade, you just can't accept that we're done. I want to move on and you should too," he told me, a small frown showing his irritation. He thought I was mad because he was moving on, but he was far from right. I could deny my current feelings all I wanted but that didn't mean I didn't have them. I knew I was mad at him for reasons other than his current attitude. I was just as irritated that he was all over Vega. The half Latina frowned worriedly and hesitantly placed a comfortingly warm hand on the crook of my arm and out of Beck's sight. Her touch surprised me and pulled me from my heated death glare match with Beck. My attention was now on Vega.

"Please, don't fight," she spoke up. Beck sighed and ran a hand through his hair while I kept my eyes down. I didn't want to give in but I found myself complying. She looked surprised when I backed down. Hell, I was too. I never thought I would listen to Vega of all people. At that moment, the sound of Andre's jovial voice followed by Cat's and Robbie's bickering, made her retract her hand and turn to her food. My eyebrows slanted down slightly at the missing warmth but I said nothing.

"Hey everyone!" Cat exclaimed, plopping down. Andre sat between Cat and Robbie who were done fighting for the time being. Ever since they began going out, they fought. If they weren't fighting, they were off making out somewhere. I spared them a greeting in the form of a quick glance in their direction before going back to eating. The group was used to the lack of input from me, aside from the occasional barb, so they left me alone. Once lunch was over with nothing new happening I walked back to my locker to arrange things for the end of the day. I found Vega waiting for me, leaning against the wall of lockers. I gave her a questioning quirk of my brow but she just smiled.

"Hey partner," she greeted me.

"I'm your partner?" I questioned skeptically. I stopped in front of her with arms crossed. Vega must have noted the way I receded back to just being Jade but it didn't slow her down for some reason. Where was all this determination to be my friend coming from? I hoped it didn't come from my out of the ordinary decision to get her a coffee this morning.

"Yeah, I would be crazy to consider anyone other than you. Who else would be able to pull off something as scary as what I know you can do?" she replied honestly. I smirked and shrugged indifferently. Wow, way to flatter me Vega. What was she up to?

"Well, I shouldn't boast," I responded, my smirk turning into a smile when she smiled wider. I couldn't believe I was letting her butter me up like this.

"So, partners?" she asked me with an outstretched hand. I glanced down at the proffered hand and then nodded.

"Sure Vega," I agreed, accepting her hand without a hint of reluctance. We shook once, but I didn't miss the way her cheeks reddened slightly. I didn't like the way it made me nervous so I let Vega's hand drop hastily and pointed to the exit.

"Can I catch another ride with you? My car will be out tomorrow so I won't be bugging you anymore," I stated quickly to change the subject.

"I don't mind," she responded quietly. Strangely, I was happy to have a ride home, even if it was with Vega.

"Let's go then. I was wondering if we could go to my place to make a rough outline of the project," she suggested as we walked out.

"Sounds like a plan. I'm in no rush to go home anyway," I replied with a shrug. The next two hours were spent putting together a rough draft and snacking at the Vega household. Our idea was that a girl house sits for her friend because she and her family had gone on a vacation. The girl stops by to make sure all is well but is unexpectedly and unknowing being followed through the house. The creature would be some type of vampire or demon disguised as a human. The transformation of said creature from human to monster was sure to earn us extra points with Sikowitz. At the end, the girl is killed and it's assumed the monster moves on to the next house; which was something we were clearly having different opinions about. I thought it was brilliant but Vega disagreed.

"But why does she have to die?" she asked for the third time.

"Is it because you'll be playing the damsel in distress?" I asked her teasingly with my trademark smirk. She huffed, her eyebrows slanting down and her nose crinkling in her own trademark unhappy face.

"No, but it's so dark. Sikowitz said horror not gore," she remarked.

"Yes, but she could still die without gore. Besides, it's more interesting if the character dies," I responded easily.

"Fine, so how are we going to pull that off?" she questioned, her arms crossing. I could hear a hint of disbelief in her tone.

"It could be a concealed type of scene. Look, the character could be chased into an area that the audience can't see but they can hear everything that's going on, so in a way, they can make up whatever's happening based on what they hear. Their own imagination will do the work for what the camera can't. After all, the unknown scares people more than outright gore," I pointed out as I further explained my idea. Vega's eyebrows began to relax as she thought it over.

"Oh, ok then I guess you have a point," she agreed.

"Yes, yes I do. So now that we have this at least on an outline I think we should gather a few props and start trying to see how to set up scenes," I suggested.

"How about we use your house?" she asked suddenly. I froze and looked at the girl across from me searchingly.

"Why?" I questioned simply.

"Well, I'm sure you don't want Trina bugging and the fact that your home is a mystery to most. It would make for an uncomfortable atmosphere that I'm unused to. That could help me act. We won't have to tell anyone it's your house anyway," she explained, her voice cleverly hiding something more, but I didn't push. My gaze narrowed slightly but eventually I nodded my agreement.

"Sure," I replied with a hint of a grumble. I didn't want anyone near my home for the simple fact that if my dad happened to be there I didn't want anyone to see just how much of an ass he could be, but Vega just had to plead with her all too expressive deep brown eyes and I agreed.

"Just promise you'll listen to me if my dad ever comes home for whatever reason," I compromised. Vega looked confused for only a few seconds before she nodded and gave me a salute.

"No problem, captain," she reassured me. I let out a small laugh at her antics and shook my head.

"You are such a dork," I accused. Vega just laughed.

"I've heard," she replied, proud. I decided to head out once we set the time for the next day we would start up the project, and then Vega took me home. As I entered my room, I dropped my Gears of War bag by my bed and then sat to get my black combat boots off. I fell back on my bed heavily and groaned. Ever since I got home my hand had felt like it was on fire. It ached every time I flexed it. I held out the offensive hand and my eyes landed on the ring, studying it critically. The longer I stared I had an unexplained urge to take it off and chuck it in the trash. I yanked on the piece of jewelry but it wouldn't budge. I went on to every method I knew to remove stubborn rings but none worked.

"What the chiz is wrong with this thing?" I questioned. It felt like it was tight and burned hot, spreading discomfort through my hand, but there was no sign of a bruise, or swelling, or redness at all. I examined it from all angles before giving up and getting into my pajamas. Fatigue suddenly caught me unaware and I staggered to my bed. As soon as I crashed, my thoughts tangled around an intense nightmare.


	3. Welcome To The Nightmare In My Head

I stood in a forest illuminated by rays of sunlight that filtered through the trees. I looked around in confusion before beginning my search for a way out. As I walked, I realized I had to be going in circles. The same scenery kept passing until I sat on a fallen tree to avoid frustration and think of a new plan. It was then that I heard it. It sounded like someone whispering in my ear. Was it a girl? I stood and looked around but no one was there. I frowned and walked through the same group of trees I had before to come out in a different area of the forest. Where the hell was I?

It opened into a clearing with edges that were somehow black and foreboding. I rarely if ever got scared of anything, but the feeling in my gut was telling me to run. I was just about to leave when a sight that surprised me had me moving out into the open clearing. It was me, or, someone that looked like me. It was a copy of myself resting on the ground, using a tree stump as a back rest. My doppelganger was dressed in pure black attire; tight shirt, sturdy pants, boots with small spikes under the sole, and an impressive trench coat draped over it all. When my twin of sorts spotted me, it smirked in a way that made me uncomfortable.

"Take a seat Jade," my other, somehow darker self, gestured to the now dead grass next to me. I glanced around at the suddenly black, twisted trees and rotting plants around me. My eyes landed back on my other self again.

"I'd rather not," I replied firmly.

"Why not? I won't bite," it replied in a sneaky way. I was sure it was lying and I didn't want to get any closer but a sudden force pushed me forward and I stumbled.

"What the-" I exclaimed, resisting the pressure.

"Calm. Come over here," it instructed soothingly. I was slowly pushed forward and then forced to the ground next to my devious looking clone.

"So how are you doing kid?" my doppelganger asked offhandedly.

"What are you?" I practically spat. My body trembled as I fought to get up and failed. All my instincts told me to get out of here.

"I'm you. Possibly the real you, just holed up in here waiting to get out," the clone stated, the blue-green eyes temporarily flashing yellow. I knew all too well that the tone used was meant to mess with people. I had used it many times before to my own advantage.

"I find that hard to believe," I replied as evenly as I could. The clone laughed coldly, making me wince at the sound. I never thought my snarky tone could ever make me uncomfortable, but it did. I briefly wondered if this was how cold everyone thought I was.

"I see your thoughts disagree with you," it observed candidly.

"Get out of my head," I snarled. The clone held up innocent gloved hands and shrugged.

"You aren't me so what the fuck are you doing here?" I demanded, letting my anger cut through and replace the overwhelming fear.

"Ok you caught me. I don't normally look like this but I chose this form to make you feel more…accepting," it replied, smiling with pointed teeth. I was shocked to see such a grin on my own face.

"Here I thought it was accepting, but I think I'm freaking you out. Would this be more preferable?" the thing questioned. In a blink of an eye, my clone was no longer a clone of myself. Instead, I was now staring at Tori Vega in the exact same black attire fitted to her smaller, slim, shape. My eyes widened in shock.

"Of course I know of your little crush on Vega. I'm a part of you now after all," the clone Tori stated with a sly grin. The voice sounded like Tori's but at the same time it was all wrong. It made me sick and uneasy.

"This is all just a nightmare," I whispered to myself. Suddenly, my face was pulled up by fierce, cold, unforgiving hands and I was staring into the yellow eyed, sharp toothed, version of Tori Vega. The eyes were flashing and angry.

"This isn't a nightmare, it's real. I can prove it to you," the Tori clone growled. The gloves tore as a claw appeared in place of a hand. The flesh was a mottled red that curved into a black tipped claw. The clone held my face steady and dragged the sharp tip of the claw down my cheek softly, not breaking skin but still making me shudder.

"If you feel pain and you don't wake up, it's real. Want to find out?" it questioned me amusedly. I shook my head the best I could and tried to pull away but my body seemed to be in a vice. The thing that looked like Tori laughed and then lunged, tearing into my side. I cried out as the pain wracked my body and the warmth of blood washed over me. The clone laughed coldly and smirked.

"I guess you aren't dreaming, West," it teased, letting go of my chin to stand. It paced in front of me. It was then that I realized my surroundings had changed again. We were now in a dimly lit dungeon-like room. Somewhere water dripped on cold stone and a chilly fog swirled over the floor. I sat propped against a stone wall with my hands tied in front of me. I panted from the pain and looked up at the thing that seemed to be all too real.

"I don't suppose you would like me to reveal my true self do you? I could explain why exactly I've decided to take your body for my own on another play date of course. That could give us more time to play now," it remarked thoughtfully. I whimpered at the thought of seeing this thing more than once. It glanced down at me and then grinned, revealing the sharp teeth again.

"We should get properly acquainted don't you think?" it inquired before fire blazed to life around its body. I jumped in shock and hurried to put distance between us by scooting away. When the flames finally died, a muscular being stood in the scorched spot. It stood to a height of around six feet and looked right at me. The only thing I could describe it as was a demon. Its red skin flexed over solid muscle. Wings were held back and out of the way. A spiked tail swished behind it. The legs were bent into animal-like hind legs and tipped with lethal claws. The hands I had seen before but the face was new. It looked human enough but sported a bat like nose with pointy ears, pure black eyes, fangs, black horns curving from its head, and long pitch-black hair pulled back into a leather tie. It was dressed in the black pants from before but wore the trench coat over without a shirt. It bowed elegantly and then walked forward to drag me to my feet. I hissed in pain at the stretching skin of my wounded side and yanked away but it grabbed me roughly by the top of my arm, holding me close.

"The name is Straker, and I'm so glad I've found a body I could call mine," its deep voice stated. Its breath reeked of sulfur and ash, making me cough.

"Until then Jade West," it almost purred. Its claws reached up to run down my face and then its lips were on mine, a snake-like tongue invading my mouth. I tried pulling away but it held me in place, stealing my breath. My vision quickly went black.

* * *

I practically threw myself out of bed in my rush to make it to the bathroom where I became violently ill. It felt like my body was trying in vain to purge a toxin I knew I couldn't get rid of. After flushing, I leaned back on the floor as a cold sweat broke out over my body. I felt so worn out I didn't even complain about the fact that I was sweating. A sharp pain in my side made me wince and I carefully pulled myself off the floor with the help of the counter. A look in the mirror reflected my face back at me. I was even paler than normal and shadows hung under my now dull blue-green eyes. I tentatively placed my fingers at the hem of my shirt and took a deep breath before pulling it up to reveal four vicious gashes carved into my skin. They didn't bleed but they still looked bad. I dropped my shirt back in place and leaned on the counter with my elbows, my head falling into my hands tiredly.

"It wasn't a dream," I whispered brokenly. I raised my gaze back to the mirror and my eyes were instantly drawn to the ring.

"The ring!" I gasped, suddenly understanding. I yanked on it for a full five minutes until my finger hurt. It felt like it was molded to my skin. No matter how hard I pulled, it only caused me pain. I growled, caught up in my frustration and anger. It went unnoticed as I returned to my room and slammed the door. The hinges creaked in protest. An overwhelming need to release my pent up fury arose in the form of my fist sinking into the wall behind my door. It easily crashed through and dust flew. As soon as the unknown rage appeared, it was gone, leaving me with my fist in the wall. I removed my hand slowly, examining my now bruised and dusty knuckles. I rubbed them but avoided looking at the damage done to the wall.

"What's happening to me?" I questioned myself. A cold wave washed over me just then and I hugged myself as if to keep my very being from falling apart. When the chilling cold passed I dragged myself over to my clock. It was six in the morning. No wonder my dad wasn't up yet. He didn't wake up until six thirty. I let my body sag to the floor and it was then when the tears finally came. I was emotionally and physically spent. There was no way I was going to school after this series of unexplained events.

As soon as I felt up to it, I hauled myself back to the bathroom to take a shower, brush my teeth to rid my mouth of sulfur and ash, and then bandage the wound the best I could on my own. I shuddered when I could feel Straker enter my mind as I dressed. If what happened wasn't a dream then was I to believe that that  **thing**  was dwelling somewhere inside my body? Another shudder passed and I tore my thoughts away from such things. I curled up in bed, listening to my dad finally wake up and get ready for the day. I was about to fall into unconsciousness when my door opened with a bang. I jumped but made no other move.

"Aren't you going to school? I had a buddy take me over to the car repair shop to get your car if you ever decide to get up," he told me. I listened with apathy and only became interested when he stopped on his way out.

"Oh, and your new friend is waiting outside," he stated, finally leaving. I frantically searched for my phone under my pillow. I texted Tori to leave without me. I told her I was sick. Tori's answer was to slip in when my dad went out. I heard her greet him with a happy 'good morning' as she entered. I rolled my eyes. Why was she this peppy so early in the day? Steps on the stairs told me she was approaching. My sudden ability to pick up on the slightest sounds made me question myself again but it all blew away when Tori carefully came in. She spotted me curled up in bed, probably looking ragged, and an expression full of concern glued to her face.

"No need to look like that Vega. I'll be fine. I'm hoping it's just a passing bug," I told her tiredly. She sat at the edge of the bed and looked at me.

"I'll get your homework for you. After school I'll swing by here to drop it off and if you're feeling better we can make more progress on the project. If not, you should get some sleep," she proposed. I only nodded, clinging to my comforter as pain sliced through me. My injury was on my right side so I had to either lay on my back or on my left. I was currently on my left, gazing at Tori's understanding expression. Her brown eyes softened as she reached out to push a strand of hair out of my face.

"Make sure you get a lot of liquids and don't push yourself. Here, I'll open a window so you can get some fresh air and sun," she said, getting up to let the light in. I groaned in complaint, making her laugh.

"Ok, mother," I responded sarcastically. I rolled on my back to get a better view of Tori.

"Jade, really, you need to get better," she responded with a slight downturn of her always smiling lips. I shook my head.

"Stop worrying about others all the time and take care of your own chiz. I'll be here when school's out," I told her with a tone of voice I hadn't really used since our friendship improved. I felt a pang of guilt at the sad look Tori gave me but the brunette quickly cheered up, even though it was clearly false, and walked to the door.

"Yeah, I guess I'll just go then. See you later Jade," she said with downcast eyes. Dammit, why did she have to look like a kicked puppy? I sighed and called to her.

"Hey Vega…have a good day. I'll be fine and waiting for you to get back," I said quietly. She smiled and nodded. I asked her to take my work with her and she fished it out of my bag at my instruction. Vega glanced once more in my direction before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her softly. I groaned when I heard her car start up and leave.

"Why are you so nice?" I wondered out loud. An answer presented itself, which made me unhappier. Could there be a possibility Vega liked me? That was great but the prospect of having a demon squatting in my thoughts wasn't helping things. I smiled, feeling like laughing until I realized it was a foreign feeling. It felt out of place and detached.

"Fuck you, Straker," I cursed under my breath. The demon must have heard me because my side ached and I held a hand to it. I spent a long time in bed before deciding I should get something to eat. I opted for soup and then curled in my blankets to watch some TV. As much as I wanted to get into the movie I was watching, I couldn't. My side was killing me by now. Painkillers had no effect on it so I just had to deal with it. I went to the bathroom and removed the bandage to see the gashes were almost all the way healed.

"Impossible," I murmured, lightly running a hand over the injury. I glanced into the mirror and noticed my shadowy eyes cleared away and I looked better. Even though I was getting better things still weren't considered good. A few hours later, and I was almost ready to break something out of boredom when there was a knock on the door. I let out a breath and got up to answer it. I dragged my big blanket with me. As soon as I saw who was at the door I swung it open.

"Had fun on your day off?" Vega asked as she walked in carrying her bag.

"How much?" I questioned, ignoring her greeting and cutting to the chase. She seemed to know what I meant anyway.

"Well, it isn't impossible but you might want to sit down and start as soon as you can," she replied. I just waved my hand like I didn't care and turned to go back to my room. Tori followed just as I knew she would. She stayed with me until everything was covered, with the prop needs taken into account, and then she packed up her stuff. The whole time I was working while not appearing hurt so that she wouldn't worry. If that happened she would start asking questions I wouldn't be able to answer.

"I'll see you tomorrow Jade. Hope you get better," she said with a small smile. I nodded and went back to stacking my textbooks on my desk. Before she could leave, I spoke up.

"Thanks, Vega," I said just loud enough for her to hear. She nodded happily, her bright smile on display again.

"No problem. Anything for you," she replied with a note of sincerity. Before I could question her she was down the stairs and out the door. I allowed myself a small smile.


	4. Hello It's Mz. Hyde

By the time it came close to getting dark, I was slowly becoming more and more restless. I couldn't eat, and everything I sat down to do I ended up getting back up to pace and then move on to something else. The anxiety didn't get better. In fact, it turned into frustration which then escalated to anger. I had no idea why I felt this way but I had a good guess. To avoid any confrontation once my dad returned, I kept myself confined to my room. The door slamming later that day told me he was home. My body tensed, and then, before I knew it, I was getting dressed to leave. I made my way downstairs once I was ready. My dad frowned and stopped me on the way out.

"Where are you going?" he questioned.

"And now suddenly you care what I do?" I snapped at him.

"Yes, as your father I want to know where you're going. Its getting late and I don't want you out," he shot back.

"You didn't seem to care when I came and went when you were out busy boozing it up with your pals," I retorted. Adrenaline shot through me when I saw I hit a nerve. It made me smirk. I reveled in the feeling of verbally attacking him. I knew exactly why I was gearing for a fight. That damn demon would definitely be the death of me. The ring constricted on my finger as my dad grabbed me by the wrist when I tried to walk away. I flung his hand off and spun to face him, my anger spiking.

"You have nothing to worry about. If I wanted to run away I would have already done it. If I wanted to get knocked up I would have already tried with Beck. If I wanted to party and get into drugs I would have already called up a guy I know. But guess what, I haven't, so put some fucking faith in me for once in your miserable life and let me leave this prison so I can hang out with people who care," I practically screamed. His eyes widened and he released me as if the contact burned him. I turned back to the door and stomped out, slamming it as I left. I pulled my keys from my pocket and unlocked my car. I slid in, started it up, and was tearing out of the driveway in record time. I turned on the radio and was greeted with a powerful guitar rift that matched my mood.

My destination was set on Vega's place, knowing she would let me in at any time of the day, but a new thought seemed to spring from my mind out of nowhere. I took a sharp turn and headed into the city. I quickly found myself in a less than trustworthy area where I parked and walked straight for a club. How I even knew where I was, was a mystery to me but that cold chill told me otherwise. The guard at the door took one look at my glare and his refusal to let me enter died on his lips. I pushed passed him and strode inside. The music was almost painful to my now sensitive hearing but it didn't distract me. I let my nose guide me and my eyes scanned for a potential…what? I sat at the bar, leveling a look at the bartender who rushed to get me something. A guy, maybe in his mid twenties, took a seat to my right. He had brown eyes, black hair, and a giant smile. He nudged my shoulder and laughed.

"Didn't think I would see any beautiful girls like you tonight," he stated in a drunken yet confident way. I could practically smell his desire and curled a lip in disgust. I still didn't know what I was doing here but Straker wanted me here for a reason, and when he wanted me to do something, I fought, but couldn't disobey. I couldn't escape the feeling that he was waiting for something to happen. What, I still didn't know and I really didn't want to know.

"Really? How flattering. I thought I saw a woman over there way more good looking than myself," I replied in the same accent I used to bug Vega. She didn't sound like that at all, even I knew that, but it bothered her regardless so I continued to tease her. He chuckled, pulling me away from thoughts concerning the youngest Vega, and shook his head.

"Nah, they aren't half as good looking," he disagreed.

"Well, in that case, why don't we get to know each other?" I said with an easy grin. He nodded excitedly and I took his hand to lead him to the bathrooms. I glanced around quickly before dragging him into the women's bathroom. As soon as we entered I cleared out the women with a death glare and then shoved the guy inside a stall. I stepped in with him and locked it, his hands immediately pulling me against him. He was fast to crush his lips to mine while his hands roughly grabbed at me. It felt all wrong but at the same time I knew this couldn't be just a simple coincidence. Straker was still guiding me.

He pushed me against the wall and continued exploring while my kisses drifted off his lips, across his jaw, and down his neck. My hands clenched in his jacket just as his hands gripped my hips. I ignored the way he pressed himself into me and concentrated on the overwhelming need to bit into him, taste his warm blood on my tongue. Fire came alive inside me, making me pant. He must have thought it was his doing because he groaned as his hands drifted lower. My left hand that rested on his right shoulder tightened, making him tense. I pulled him closer and grabbed his wandering hand with my right. He froze as a growl rumbled from deep in my chest.

"That's going too far," I warned, speaking more to the demon within me than the guy. To hell with Straker. I still had dignity. I knew by now exactly what he wanted. He was pushing me, weakening me, so that I couldn't stop the feeling that clawed at me from the inside. The guy cried out as his wrist broke under my steel grip. My left hand suddenly sunk through cloth, skin, muscle, and into bone. My hands had shifted into claws. The guy yelped and tried to back off but I held on. The smell of his blood called to me. My teeth bit into my lip in yearning, cutting into it easily. My tongue moved to investigate the now sharp teeth and slightly longer canines.

"Please, I-I didn't…don't hurt me," he whimpered pathetically. I smirked, looking into his fear clouded eyes to see my own yellow eyes staring back at me.

"It'll be over soon," I told him dismissively. His body slammed into the stall wall behind him as I easily threw him back. I lunged for his throat and tore. I held him there as I took my fill. I could hear Straker's cruel cold laugh echo in my head, making me ashamed and angry, but I couldn't stop. I hated that I liked it. An animalistic growl shook my frame, making my jaw tighten. A sickening crack followed as the force I was using shattered the guy's bones. I pulled away to inspect the damage which didn't disgust me at all. My hands relaxed and the body crumpled to the floor. I was panting from the burst of adrenaline but otherwise I felt blissfully relaxed. The feeling made me sick a few moments later.

I burst from the stall, ready to get out of there, when I came face to face with a woman who had unfortunately walked in at that moment. I rushed at her, and before I even knew what I was doing, I had grabbed the woman by the neck with one hand. A single push slammed her against the mirror behind her. Glass shattered and pieces scattered across the floor. She attempted to scream but I held a hand over her mouth and leaned in. My eyes fell to the racing pulse in her neck before diving for it. The woman tried screaming again but it was cut off the minute I added force. When I was done, I let the body slide to the floor before nonchalantly walking over to the sinks. I hated how I looked like my clone. That dark, twisted, sick side of me I had met in the rotting woods. I stared into my now yellow irises lined with dark shadows under my eyes while Straker appeared behind me. I spun around but he wasn't there. His laugh echoed around me.

 _"I've got you under my thumb now Jade. It was so easy to kill two people, wasn't it? It felt good, didn't it? I know it did. I felt your pleasure,"_ he taunted with another laugh. I held my hands over my ears and whimpered.

"No, that was you. I'm not a monster," I ground out through clenched fangs.

 _"Sure you aren't. We'll see when next the moon rises. Until then, see you in your sleep,"_ he replied with a grin. In a blink of an eye he was gone. I stared at my reflection, loathing the control he had over me. I let out a yell and slammed my fist down into the sink. The pain was nothing. The sink shattered under the force as water burst from the destroyed pipe. I was quickly washed of the blood on me and red stained the floor, dissipating in the water. My throbbing, bruised, hands fell to my sides. Noise beyond the door alerted me to more people coming in. A quick scan revealed a skylight on the ceiling. I leaped on top of the stalls and then jumped for the edge of the skylight. My grip caught the edge with ease. I managed to pull myself through and out just as the first screams pierced the air.

I glanced down to see women panicking and security rushing in. I ran for the edge of the building and leaped over to another without fear. I landed with grace and headed for my car. By the time I reached it I was soaked to the bone. It had finally begun to rain but I wasn't cold at all, well, maybe not from the weather. I sat heavily in my car and started it up but I stopped at that. My emotions finally got the better of me and I broke down crying. I didn't start driving until I was sure I had the focus required to do so. By the time I got home it was already one in the morning. My adrenaline high left me tired and worn out, ready to fall unconscious. I dragged myself inside and collapsed on the couch, unable to walk another step. I fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Straker found me moments later, as he said he would.

"How was your night?" he asked me, like someone asking the time. I sat in a corner of the dungeon room, fighting the urge to cry again.

"Fuck you," I replied bitterly. He laughed.

"That sadly wouldn't work out well for you," he replied slyly. I gagged at the thought of doing anything sexual with the demon.

"What did you do to me?" I questioned, close to losing my grip on my fury. Ever since Straker took up residence in my head I was always so angry.

"I told you, I want your body. I'll slowly take over your mind until there's nothing left of you. Then, I'll be able to use your body as a disguise to live outside the devil's cage while your soul rots away," he responded happily.

"You lived in that ring. So the story was true," I said in disbelief.

"That old man never did want to believe. He lied when he said it was sold to him. It was  **his**  brother I had possessed. It was all going so well too until he killed himself. He got the better of me but I won't let that happen again. I mentally tortured the old man until he gave in and put the ring out for sale. I swear, he would have been a better choice, but he knew better then to wear the ring. It only takes putting it on three times to get a more than perfect grip. I won't go down easily. I've lived in the ring for ages, waiting for one fool or another to wear it so I can walk free once more; and you're next. Get ready for a long rollercoaster ride Jade," he chuckled. I shuddered.

"No, I won't let you win," I sneered, pulling out some of my temporarily lost attitude. I growled and surprised us both by launching at him. I managed to shred a wing with my own claws before he subdued me. He easily lifted me and threw me back down, slamming me into the stone beneath and cracking it. My back protested at the force. A sharp pain ran through my spine and I laid there unable to move.

"Think twice before fighting me. I gave you those gifts and I can easily overcome them," he snarled, angry that I had caught him unaware. I scoffed at the idea that what he did to me was a gift. He knelt down and reached out to hold my chin in his burning claw.

"I can see it might take a while to break you, but I will. Every night I have control over you far more greater than when the light is out. Don't think I can't…persuade you even when the light is present. Don't continue to resist me because I  **will**  find a way; even if I have to kill that no good Victoria Vega in the process. I'll make you do it of course," he threatened. I didn't miss the way he practically spat out Tori's name like it was some holy word that left a bad taste in his mouth. I smacked his claw away with a snarl.

"Leave Vega out of this," I retorted, leveling my suddenly fiery gaze with his. He smiled knowingly.

"Oh, I plan to include her in the fun, you can be sure of that," he replied. He stood, dragging me with him by my am.

"Knock 'em dead for me Mz. Hyde," he stated before pushing me over. I fell back, arms flailing, and sunk into a dark void.

* * *

I jolted awake, falling off the couch in the process. A startled cry caught my attention as I sat up to see none other than Tori Vega. I groaned unintentionally which made her frown.

"I was worried about you. You weren't at school again. Are you ok?" she asked, a slight blush on her cheeks. I wanted to smile at that but my back registered more pain.

"Define ok," I replied, running a tired hand through my mussed hair. Vega helped me to my feet. Once I was standing, I used her to keep myself upright.

"Jade, you should get some more sleep," she commented, her concern making an appearance. I must look like crap.

"No, no more sleep. I can't take it. I have these intense nightmares," I replied, pushing away from her to find something to eat. I didn't want to remember the taste of flesh and blood. I needed something to cover it up. I prayed to whoever was listening that I could still eat food.

"So you aren't sick, just sleep deprived? I came over to work on the project but if you still aren't feeling up to it we could-" she began while unpacking more papers for me, but I shook my head.

"No, we're wasting time. If I don't get better by tomorrow I want you to find someone else. I don't want you failing because of me," I admitted. Vega looked like she wanted to protest but knew better.

"Ok, I should let you rest then. I brought you more work and I'll turn in your other homework for you," she offered. I told her where to find it and she headed up the stairs to get them. I held a hand up to cover my face. I sighed and then followed the brunette up the stairs. I stopped in the bathroom to brush my teeth and splash water on my face. By the time I stopped to glance into the mirror again I looked better. Just like before. Whatever wore me down when I confronted Straker, it seemed to heal itself in time. I sighed in relief at that and then began unrolling the bandage. The cuts were no longer present. I threw out the bandage, took one more look at myself and left the bathroom only to crash into Vega who was on her way back to the living room. I stumbled, taking her with me, but I quickly switched places with her so that I crashed into the wall instead of her. We held on to each other, out of breath, and then we were laughing at the mix up.

"Geez Vega, watch where you're going," I teased with a smile.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking," she replied shyly.

"Well obviously," I responded. Vega laughed nervously and then looked up at me just as I realized that she was still in my arms while her own arms were around my middle, papers held tightly in her hand. She leaned forward slightly and I moved to do the same, but I stopped, knowing if I got in too deep now I would just be in more pain later.

"Vega…" I began but for the first time, she effortless took what she wanted. She pressed her lips to mine, her free hand moving to hold me in place. I was slightly surprised at the turn of events but I wasn't complaining. I lost myself in her soft kiss before pulling away with a smirk.

"Why, Tori Vega, I didn't know you could be so bold," I stated in my impersonation of her, a smirk accompanying it. Instead of replying with her usual 'I don't talk like that,' Vega laughed and shrugged, trying to keep down the rising blush.

"Maybe there's more to me than you realize?" she responded. My smirk widened before leaning forward for another kiss that carried on longer than the last. When we finally broke apart we were both grinning like idiots. I couldn't believe I liked Vega. It was amazing and crazy and scary all at once.

"I thought you didn't like me," Vega spoke up. I shook my head.

"I realized some time ago that I must have liked you since that first day. I have a hunch Beck figured it out way sooner than me that I had feelings for you. It was probably one of the reasons we broke up," I responded thoughtfully.

"Then wait, Beck knew this and he still tried to make a move on me?" she asked with wide eyes. I frowned, watching understanding wash over her features.

"It doesn't matter anyway. Beck is Beck. He's my friend and nothing more. Something I've known since meeting you," Vega confessed. I looked at her questioningly before putting it together.

"You were never going for Beck were you?" I asked her. She shook her head with a smile. All this time she was trying to get my attention, not Beck's.

"But I've been such a gank to you," I replied with downcast eyes. She shrugged and took my hand in hers.

"It made me try harder," she responded quietly. I laughed and nodded.

"I'm glad you did or else I don't think I would have realized my own feelings," I confessed. She pulled me into a hug I knew she had been dying to give me for some time now. When we parted, I told her I would see her in school tomorrow and we would work on the play after. Vega agreed and left me to my empty house. I returned to my room, silently vowing to myself that I wouldn't let Straker get the better of me. I would fight back for Tori's sake as well as my own.


	5. Bad As Can Be, I'm Not So Innocent

As hard as I tried, I couldn't let myself sleep. I had to admit that I didn't want to see Straker. My transformation didn't slow down or stop. As soon as it was dark, I locked myself in my room to deny Straker another chance to make me kill innocent people. Instead, he settled for forcing me to bite and claw at myself. It was still all wrong for me. The bad kind of pain felt good and blood didn't just seem fascinating anymore, it was edible, it was something I craved. I sat on the floor at the foot of my bed now. I ran my tongue over a recently open bite and then let out an agitated growl when someone knocked at the door.

"Jade, get down here and eat. I haven't seen you eat much since you've been losing sleep," my dad yelled through the door. He banged on it once and I snarled but made no movement to get up. The lock on my door would keep him out. As much as I didn't like him, I didn't want to sink my newly acquired teeth or claws into him either.

"Go away!" I yelled back, my lips lifting to bare my teeth. He tried a few more times before launching into a rant about disobedient children that left with him. I held my head in my hands turned claws and groaned. I was starving, and no matter how much I didn't want it to be true, I was craving the taste of flesh and blood. I whined and jumped to my feet in frustration. I tore through my room as the fury within pushed me to my limits. My dresser and desk were tossed over, deep grooves from my claws marking them. I ripped my bed apart, tossed my lamp at the wall, and dragged my claws across them as well. I stalked over to the shelf full of various collectibles in the corner only to stop, frozen in my tracks. A picture of the gang sat on it. It was one of the few pictures where I was actually smiling. I forced Sinjin to take it so we could all be in it. Trina even managed to squeeze in the back when she realized what we were doing.

"I have to stop this," I whispered to myself. The sound of my warped voice made me grimace. I carefully reached out and gently ran a claw down the picture before turning to climb in my now ruined bed. I was suddenly determined to beat Straker. In minutes, I calmed myself enough to fall into sleep. It looked like the best way to go about this was to confront him.

* * *

I stood in the dungeon once again, a fierce frown on my face and my arms crossed.

"Now that's more like it," Straker said as he stepped from the shadows. I turned to him.

"I've decided to fight you for my freedom," I told him with a steady voice even though I was afraid of what might happen. He laughed mockingly.

"I should warn you. You didn't get anything to eat. Your energy will be low and you won't heal as fast from the injuries I'm sure to give you," he taunted. I scoffed, going into an offensive crouch.

"Try me," I growled. He roared and leaped at me without warning, slamming me back into the wall. It crumbled a little under the impact but we kept fighting. He lashed out at me, missing and digging easily into stone. While he was distracted I dug my own claws in his neck. He snarled and threw me aside. I fell into a roll and stood back up.

"Don't try my patience girl. If I wasn't using you I would have killed you by now," he stated.

"Maybe I'll push you enough to kill me then. It's better than this," I retorted. He bared his teeth and came at me again. He managed to land a hit to my back and arm before tripping me, grabbing me by the leg while I was down, and then tossing me at the wall. Something cracked and I cried out in pain. I spent a few quick breaths on the floor and then forced myself up. Straker slammed a fist into the side of my jaw and I tumbled back to lean on the wall behind me. I spat blood and laughed.

"I can't believe that's all you've got," I mocked. A rumbling growl was my answer. He stalked closer, his tail whipping behind him.

"I won't let you die. I've come too far to lose control. But if its torture you want, I can do that," he told me threateningly. His tail shot out and whipped across my leg, cutting into skin and making that leg buckle under me. Before I could fall, his tail shot out again to wrap around my throat. He lifted me off the floor while I clawed at his tail for breath. The sharp barb dug into my shoulder regardless of the many times my claws pierced his skin. I started gasping for air while he laughed at my pitiful attempts to get free.

"You will learn in time I always get what I want. As for you, I think I'll take everything from you. Remind me to pay a visit to Victoria Vega. I'm sure she'll be glad to see you," he teased. I growled, maneuvering myself enough to sink my teeth into the tail constricting my throat. I tossed my head until I tore deep and he screamed in fury. He let me go and I sucked in much needed air then spat the overly metallic tasting blood out. I forced myself back into action, dodging his swing and getting behind him. I wasted no time ripping into his strong but delicate wings. He screeched and kicked back, throwing me to the hard floor.

"You bitch!" he roared. He advanced on all fours and pounced, his weight coming down on me hard. His claws dug into my shoulder to press me to the unforgiving floor. His clawed hand rose to jerk my head to the side, exposing my neck.

"You'll pay for damaging my wings," he hissed. His black irises suddenly glowed red so that a ring of red floated in the inky black. His mouth opened to display rows of sharp teeth.

"I'm going to enjoy this," he said with a smirk. I pushed at his arms futilely as he leaned in and licked my neck.

"Good luck recovering," he whispered in my ear. Then there was pain. I refused to let him hear the cry welling up inside me and instead dug my claws into his arms to ride it out. He moaned into my skin, pulled away, and then sunk his teeth in my side. His claws moved to run under my shirt. He dug them into my hips and I winced. They traced back down to my legs and then tugged down so that I was under and forced against him. A twisted smirk lit his features which disgusted me. I cringed and tried to ignore the inevitable, my thoughts drifting to the one person I couldn't seem to stop thinking about lately. Straker's claw reached toward my body but stopped suddenly. He hissed and pulled away. The light of the sun was glaring through the bars of the dungeon. He roared and retreated to the darkness in the corner. I stayed put where I was, glad to have not been raped on top of tortured. I shuddered in revulsion. I could only hope for a better shot at beating him the next time I tried. As much as I didn't want to anger him again, I still couldn't resist taunting him.

"Scared of a little light?" I spat at him tiredly, my trademark smirk unfailing. I got a growl in return.

"Get out," he grumbled. He let out a heavy breath which flickered with smoke and fire. I laughed and then finally passed out.

* * *

I woke up on my torn bed and whimpered when I made a move to get up. My body felt like I had been run over by a bus. Now I regretted telling everyone that happened to anger me to throw themselves under a bus. I slowly sat up and pressed a hand to the bite on my shoulder. It hurt the most. I managed to stand and slowly make my way into the bathroom. As before when I was injured, the wound didn't bleed but a close inspection of it in the mirror showed it was bruised around the edges.

"Fuck," I cursed, bending down to retrieve the last roll of bandages from under the sink, the movement upsetting the pain. I set it aside and then jumped in the shower to wash off traces of filth only I felt. When I got out I began to wrap the bandage diagonally across my torso so that it covered the bite on my shoulder. My leg was next and then my arm. Any remaining was used to cover the rest of my torso so that the cuts on my back and bite on the side of my stomach were covered. Once I was all patched up, I flipped off the lights and tiredly sat on the floor. Silent tears fell but I wiped them away angrily.

"Don't give up. Tori is expecting you," I whispered, trying to give myself support. Speaking of Tori only made me want to hug the half Latina close and pretend none of this was happening. I sighed and then finally got up to get out of my pajamas and into school clothes. I had woken up early again so I had time to eat, grab some much needed coffee and then head out to my car. Tori knew I had my car now and was waiting for me at school. My phone went off and I pulled it out of my pocket to see that she sent me a text.

_If you don't feel up to it, stay home and get some sleep. If not, I'll see you soon._

I smiled and got in my car. Hopefully my make up job prevented most of the bruises from showing along my jaw. The worst anyone would assume was the possibility that my dad beat me, which I didn't care about. No, it was the fact that  **I** knew what happened and didn't want to be seen with such marks. I started up my car and backed out onto the road. I took a deep breath and a sip of coffee before driving to school for the first time in two days. Upon walking into school, I went straight for my locker. Tori stood leaning against it, waiting for me. The sight of her made me want to cry. I really liked the tanned, brown eyed, half Latina but I couldn't help but feel I should back off until this situation I found myself stuck in was sorted out. But I just couldn't stay away. The ring tightened and heated up, signaling that Straker knew very much how I felt.

"Vega, how's it going?" I greeted, trying to keep the fatigue from my tone. I must have failed because she frowned.

"You sure you're ok?" she asked, hesitating before taking my hand in hers. I sighed as Tori rubbed softly across my knuckles. I didn't pull away when I noticed passing students staring at us oddly.

"I'm as fine as I'm going to be. I just gotta get this over with so I don't fall behind. After all, we still need to work on our project. We only have a few more days left," I pointed out. Tori nodded and didn't release my hand when I moved to open my own locker. Cat suddenly ran up and started jumping in place. I watched her out of the corner of my eye, waiting for the hyper girl to say something. When she didn't, I sighed.

"What?" I almost yelled at the redhead. It still held some irritation but not much. Cat must have gotten into some candy today because it didn't slow her down.

"Hey Jade! You're back, yay!" she squealed as she ran up to embrace me and Tori, who only became aware of the hyper active redhead when I spoke up. She seemed lost in thought. I flinched and my breath hitched but I covered it with a gasp. Hell that hurt.

"Whoa, dude calm down, you startled me attacking like that," I told her, lightly scolding. Cat laughed and let us go.

"Nonsense Jade, you never get scared," Cat replied. I couldn't agree with her but I retorted anyway, the defensive response a reflex.

"I didn't say scared, I said startled. They're different," I explained. Cat just laughed and Tori smiled. I rolled my eyes, waited for Tori to close her locker, and then followed Cat and Tori to the class they shared. I waited for Cat to walk in first and then snuck a peck on Tori's cheek before leaving her at the door. I barely made it into my own class on time. The teacher greeted me but said nothing more. The slant up of his eyebrows told me he understood. The day seemed to drag for me after that. I was so tired I let my head rest on Tori's shoulder through lunch and Sikowitz's class. I only woke up when Tori prodded my arm. I groaned, as it was the injured one, but Tori just thought I didn't want to wake up.

"Come on Jade," she called softly to me. Beck walked up and ruffled my hair. That was more than enough to get me up. I slapped his hand away with a glare. He smirked back at me but I just huffed.

"See you around," he told us with a salute before leaving. Was it just me or Beck seemed to be in a happy mood? Figures he would when I wasn't. We never did have a day when we were both happy. Andre gave us a farewell wave as he followed Beck out. Cat and Robbie with Rex were the only ones left but they were talking to Sikowitz.

"You know, he missed your comments when you were gone. You weren't very vocal today either," Tori spoke up.

"Who?" I asked, hoping she didn't mean Beck.

"Sikowitz, he kept calling on you then realized you fell asleep and moved on. Secretly, I think we all love to hear what you have to say," she teased. I smirked at her sudden boldness.

"I bet  **you**  do," I responded with a smile that made Tori blush slightly.

"Sure I do," she scoffed, gathering herself again. I leaned closer to her, making her confident grin slip.

"Just because I like you doesn't mean you should put down your guard around me," I whispered, my lips coming close to hers but denying her any contact. She was barely breathing and she was as still as a statue.

"In fact, you should still fear me," I added, wishing that wasn't so close to the truth and more of the teasing remark I meant it to be. I could tell she was waiting for our lips to connect but instead I turned away and left her standing there. The ring came alive at that moment and suddenly I had to get away, but Tori gripped my arm. I looked back at her, the pulsing of the ring growing in strength until I was bending to its will again. I pulled her along, a silent gesture to follow me. She complied and I led her straight for the janitor's closet, closing it quickly and locking it. I could feel the overwhelming heat in the ring as well as the crazy impulse to get as close to Tori as possible. My desire must have shown in my gaze because Tori's blush grew while her own eyes showed the same. I stepped closer and backed Tori against the wall. I finally allowed her the kiss we both wanted before lowering my mouth to the sensitive skin of her neck. Tori groaned when I carefully nipped the expanse of skin down to her shoulder. The sounds she made had me pressing my body closer, desperate for more contact.

I bit into Tori's shoulder, making her back arch under me as a moan slid out of her parted lips. I sucked on the skin until I left a mark and then ran my tongue over it soothingly. I had no idea Vega liked it rough but I couldn't say I wasn't enjoying it. Tori was breathing hard but I wasn't done with her yet. She switched us quickly so that I was against the wall. My hands slid under her shirt to caress the soft skin beneath, only grazing under the edge of her jeans when I came back down. Tori's lips met mine again and the kiss quickly deepened as our tongues met. My hands tightened on Tori's waist, pulling her closer. I really wanted her at that point, but another need presented itself, and that alone made me force myself to calm down. Straker made himself known in the form of a single thought; 'attack while she's vulnerable'. I pulled away from the kiss and nuzzled Tori's neck. I couldn't help the thoughts running through my head. I knew if I bit into her now, sharp teeth would meet soft flesh, leaving a more deadly mark. I struggled against it and then raised my lips to Tori's ear with some difficulty.

"Tori…we have to stop. I…" I trailed off, not knowing what to say. Tori leaned back to look at me and I hoped my eyes hadn't changed just yet.

"Yeah, we should stop," she agreed, almost out of breath. She leaned in for a short kiss and then stepped away, slipping out of my arms and dropping her own from around my middle. The space was enough to clear my head and I sighed, hoping it was enough to keep Straker at bay. I may have won this battle but the war wasn't over.


	6. Better Be Scared, Better Be Afraid

We took some time to calm down and breathe before attempting to speak. I could feel Straker's fury through the ring. He couldn't get me to do his bidding and it felt good to be able to have some amount of control. My hands clenched with tension, causing Tori to shoot me a questioning glance but she didn't say anything.

"Do you think we could save working on the project until tomorrow?" I asked cautiously. My gaze flicked up to look at the still flushed look Tori wore. She only nodded, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear to keep herself busy.

"I, um…" she tried to say. I gave Tori my attention without a second thought.

"What are we?" Tori continued with a curious tilt of her head. I took a few second to think before answering.

"I like you Vega. It's just…" I began, trying to find a way to tell her it couldn't work, but then I decided it could. My thought process was fighting itself. I wanted to be with Tori but Straker would most likely kill her. I could see that my indecision was making Tori question whether I really did like her at all, or that I was possibly unwilling to openly date her, so I had to make amends. She opened her mouth to speak but I cut her off.

"Would you go out with me?" I asked her quietly. Tori closed her mouth, one of her famous grins appearing, the same bright smile I myself loved but didn't want to admit I did until now. It was the reason I liked to shoot her down when she was happy so it would disappear, but now, I was more than glad to see it.

"I'd like that," she replied. I allowed a smile as I pushed off the wall to pull my old frenemy, now girlfriend, into my arms. I silently hoped I could get rid of Straker soon and nothing bad would come of my decision to allow Tori closer. After she and I said our goodbyes in the parking lot, we shared a quick kiss and then parted ways. I was a little more than apprehensive once I got home. My dad must have felt my turmoil because for once he steered clear of me. Something must have felt off to him. Join the club. I knew he would refuse to let that feeling of fear tell him something dangerous was near. He probably thought it was stupid for him to think I had that kind of power over him. As soon as the door shut, his decision made to leave the house, I laid out on my bed for a few minutes, just trying to calm myself. Then I got up to get some of my work done. Later, my dad would be returning home to an empty house. I was out again as soon as night fell.

I was far from in control now that Straker was stronger. As much as I tried to steady myself, I was too flustered over my close encounter with Tori. Straker took advantage of that as soon as he could. Now, I found myself walking down an otherwise dangerous street had I not had the potential of a power hungry, murderous demon flowing through me. I raised my head to the wind and took in a calculative breath. I let it out slowly and smiled. There was someone nearby all right. I darted through an alley to come out to approach the man leaning against the wall at the opening of the alley. He let out a puff of smoke from his cigarette. My nose twitched at the smell and I waved away the offensive smell. It was not a pleasant odor to have in my over sensitive nose. I began stalking forward, my claws held at the ready and my teeth bared.

"What do you want?" the man suddenly said, making me freeze. A small sound came to my ears and I realized it was a voice. It was then I realized the man was talking on the phone.

"Fuck, just go wait in your car. I'll be there. Don't drive. I don't want you landing in jail for something as stupid as a DUI," the man sneered. He hung up and pocketed the phone.

"Stupid," he muttered, taking a long drag and then throwing the cancer stick to the concrete to crush it under his shoe. I waited for him to fully pass my hiding spot before I snagged him from behind and slammed him against the wall inside the alley. He screamed at the sight of my mouth full of sharp teeth descending on him followed by my claws digging into his shoulders. I slapped a clawed hand over his mouth with a growl.

"Shut up or I'll make it hurt much worse," I snarled in warning. He nodded hastily. I removed my claw, fighting the urge to tear into him like a mindless animal.

 _"Kill him. Don't let him run free. I want to see him murdered at your hands,"_ Straker suddenly hissed in my ear. I flinched at the voice, tightening my hold on the man who was shaking at this point. I just wanted to knock him out and take what I needed then let him live. I couldn't kill another person. As I struggled, the man started eyeing me, looking for a way out. He suddenly struck, slamming a fist in my stomach. I staggered back into the opposite wall but gained stability quickly. I easily caught him again but this time I threw him to the ground of the alley harshly. An angered growl made Straker laugh. I was pissed. Here I was, trying to be nice and he hits me. I knew I was overreacting but my restraint was slipping. I was so hungry. I pounced on my prey and held his arms down.

 _"He doesn't deserve to live. Humans are natural backstabbers. They should be bowing to you. Worshipping the very ground you stand on. Instead, they cower in fear. End his miserable existence,"_ he persuaded smoothly. I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the urge to kill again but it wouldn't go away. I wished I could show the defenseless man how sorry I was but the only emotion that shone through was the anger and hunger. I pushed his head to the side so that I could see the racing pulse in his neck and then I struck. He screamed but his voice quickly died out. I stood when I was done and looked down at the body. It scared me when I felt nothing. My mind was disconnected somehow. Straker was beyond pleased. I heard a passing car and darted away.

 _"You did well,"_ Straker praised. I only snarled my disagreement. He laughed, and just like that, he disappeared from my mind. I didn't stop running until I made it into my backyard. I jumped the fence easily and landed with grace on the other side. My dad was already in bed by the time I entered so I tread carefully to my room. I really didn't want to sleep so after cleaning up I busied myself with reading until I had to prepare for school. I got ready quickly and left, hoping Tori would make me feel better. I arrived late so there was no one in the halls, no one except Tori who waited by her locker. I smiled and ran up to her. Tori turned around with a look I had never seen on the happy half Latina's face. It was unbridled anger.

"I can't do this," she practically spat. I looked on, confused.

"What? But I thought-" I began, at a loss for words. Tori cut me off with a shove that surprisingly set me off.

"Don't you understand? I can't date you! Do you know what people will say? Get away from me Jade West," she stated. I was stunned to say the least. I stood there, pain and hurt radiating from my heart. Anger soon rose in its place as I watched Tori walk away from me.

 _"You see, she hates you. She knows you're nothing but a monster. Why would she want to even be with someone who openly despised her? She has a reputation to uphold too, doesn't she?"_ Straker spoke up. I snarled, trying to ignore him. Tori was just about to turn the corner.

 _"She doesn't love you so you shouldn't feel bad putting her out of her misery,"_ he suggested casually. The fury in me grew until, without thinking, I pushed myself into motion and tore down the hall. My hands curled into claws and I gritted my sharp teeth. My eyes focused on the only person I had ever felt close to. The person who made me feel more than Beck. The person who shattered my heart on the spot. I leaped at Tori, flooring her, and then tore into her neck with my teeth. By the time my head cleared, I realized what I did. I fell to my knees and shakily reached out to gather Tori's body in my arms. Tears ran down my face, a terrible sadness twisting at my insides. Before I could let out a sob, I heard the most joyful but cruel laugh.

"Straker," I snarled. I set Tori down and got to my feet to see the demon smirking at me. He looked odd standing in the hall of my school.

 _"Well done Jade. I knew you could do it. The bitch deserved it,"_ he said with a few claps. I was just about to fly into another rage induced fight I knew I would lose when I suddenly realized exactly what Straker was doing. I looked to the demon and then back to Tori and grinned in complete relief.

"Did you think I wouldn't catch on?" I asked him with a smirk. His joy filled stare quickly grew icy when he caught on to what I meant. He frowned, snapping his fingers to make our surroundings waver and then dissipate like smoke so that we stood in the dark dungeon again.

"What gave me away?" he asked, barely keeping in his anger. I circled him triumphantly before answering.

"You can't stand plainly in the real world. You either speak to me through my thoughts or at best alter reality through mirrors," I replied. He glared at me hatefully.

"It isn't my fault you fucked up," I said, loving the turn of events that allowed me to smugly rub in his failure. I was so happy I was sure he wouldn't be able to get to me for the rest of his visit.

"I  **will** make you kill her. You already showed you're capable if I break you enough," he pointed out. I only shrugged.

"How do I know my reaction wasn't influenced by you? I'm not so sure you could do the same in the real world. This is your playground after all," I responded calmly with crossed arms and a knowing smirk. He roared and jumped at me so quick I was too late to dodge. He slammed me into the floor, which gave way under the force so that I fell through the void and into darkness.

* * *

I jumped awake, tossing the book I held across the room in my haste. I looked around, my eyes searching for anything amiss. When did I fall asleep? I let out a deep breath and calmed myself before sliding off my bed. That was a little too close for comfort. I should have known as soon as Tori yelled those hurtful words at me that it was all a fake, but I wasn't thinking. My mind was clouded with anger. He manipulated everything again just as he had done the first time I met him. I checked my clock to see I really was running late for school. I rushed to take a shower, noting all the healed but scarred skin on my body. As I got dressed I repeated my mantra of never letting him get the best of me again, and no matter what Tori said today, I would walk away under control.

I arrived at Hollywood Arts and walked in as nonchalantly as I could. I must have barely missed first period because people were in the middle of changing classes. My emotions wouldn't settle so when I spotted Tori talking to Andre, I immediately felt the need to wrap her in my arms and never let go. I sped up, ready to do just that, but I skid to a stop when it came to my attention that Tori might not want our relationship out in public yet. I was stuck between decisions when Tori looked up and our eyes met. Whatever Andre was saying was instantly lost on Tori and it boosted my confidence to see I had her full attention. I smirked and started forward again at an easy pace.

"Oh, hey Jade," Andre greeted.

"Hey Andre, do you mind if I borrow Tori real quick?" I asked the musician, a hint of hesitation in my voice. Andre, in his own weird way, must have understood the importance of talking to Tori because he nodded.

"Sure. I'll see you two in class," he said. He waved and walked away. By now, the hall was clearing out. Tori turned to me with a bright smile.

"Hey, you. I'm glad you showed up. I thought you weren't going to come," Tori said nonchalantly. I smirked and pulled her into a hug, leaning close to whisper in her ear.

"Not today Vega, but play your cards right, and maybe I will," I told her softly, my hand moving to skim the exposed skin between Tori's shirt and jeans. She bit her lip and then chuckled, playfully smacking my arm.

"Wow, never thought I'd expect that from you, but I'm not opposed to the idea. Just not in the hall, West," she responded just as playfully, easily following along. I laughed at her using my last name and intertwined our hands together.

"Let's get to class. I'm late as it is," I replied. We walked off and Tori didn't let my hand go even when we passed a group of students. If anything, she held on tighter. The rest of the day I had eyes only for Tori. At lunch, I toned it down for the group to figure out on their own. Yes, I was acting way nicer to Tori, but that was it. Beck had a knowing smile, Andre kept giving Tori confused glances, Cat smiled at us, and Robbie fought with Rex when the puppet suggested something was going on between us.

He blushed and denied such a thing only for Rex to point out more until Robbie shoved the offending puppet in his backpack and apologized. Tori kept telling him it was ok but he wouldn't listen and I didn't speak up because I enjoyed watching Robbie squirm and stammer to correct his mistake, when in reality, he wasn't wrong. At the end of the day, Tori and I left together and walked out to the parking lot. We parted at her car, which was closer than mine, and then met up at my place. In a few hours, Tori and I had my house set up for filming despite the frequent stops when we ended up kissing or playfully fighting. We were also interrupted once by a text from Tori's mom asking when she would be home.

"I think we should start filming. If we set the camera at this angle over the TV we can set the stage going from the stairs to the back door. We can get all those scenes done and then start on anything that involves other rooms," Tori explained, a smile on her face. I followed her plan without complaint and we got started. I would of course be the creature stalking Tori. I didn't like the idea at all now, seeing as it was too close to the truth. The time passed as we worked and finally we were at the most important scene. Tori would pass the camera on her way to the back door. I would follow in the shadows until we were both outside. That was when we would pretend Tori was mauled. The sound would set the imagination while we didn't have to show anything.

"Ok, so I'm going to push record. Stand by the stairs," I instructed, feeling uncomfortable. I was slowly getting anxious and I knew why. It was getting dark. We had to wrap this up quick. I hit the record button and slinked off to get in position. Tori began her hesitant walk across the dark living room. A feeling of coldness swept through me, muting my happiness and making me worry. I briefly wondered if this was a good idea at all. I could feel Straker waiting for an opportune moment to strike. Tori called out to the dark as she was supposed to do but I couldn't move. What would happen if I did crack and something actually happened during shooting?

I pushed the uncertain thoughts away and began stalking forward. Tori was so close now. I could feel her body's warmth as she neared. The ring suddenly flared, making me growl in slight pain. Before I could stop myself, a force shoved me forward so that I slammed Tori roughly against the wall. She gasped and froze, pinned under me. Now would have been when we would cut so that we could slowly transform me, but instead, this happened. I knew the mauling had to take place off camera and the transformation wasn't supposed to be real but it was all happening anyway. I caught Tori's addicting scent and firmly pinned her to the wall by her arms. Tori looked at me with confusion and slight concern.

There it was; night had finally fallen. I snarled, baring my now sharp teeth. For the most part, Tori looked absolutely terrified. Her eyes were wide and I just knew her gut was telling her to run for it as fast as she could, but she didn't move. She most likely couldn't. I wanted to pull away but Straker forced my sensitive nose close to her neck and I was instantly lost in her scent again. I looked up at the trembling girl. I leaned in to kiss her softly and then pressed a kiss to the pulse racing in her neck. Tori whimpered when I licked the soft skin there. My teeth were ready to follow when I finally got a hold of myself. I pushed the dark force away from me the best I could and then reached out to hold Tori's chin gently in my now clawed hand.

"Run," I advised her. To my surprise, Tori shook her head.

"No, I'm staying to help you," she responded, her determined tone shaking despite the valiant tone she had acquired.

"You don't know what you're getting into. I didn't mean for this to happen…" I told her, closing my eyes to avoid the soft brown ones in front of me. I pushed away from her and ran for the stairs, mentally kicking myself for losing track of time. Tori should be a crumpled heap on the floor from the mix of emotions running through her but she somehow managed to stay standing and chased after me. She didn't know what was going on but I had a feeling she was well aware of how much I needed her. I wish she would just leave and save herself before it was too late.


	7. You Don't Know Me, Soon You Won't Forget

Tori caught up to me just as I made it to my room and attempted to slam the door. Tori bolted to unfortunately stop me just in time. I saw her place herself between the door and the force behind it to stop it from hitting her. She was either crazy as all hell or brave as fuck. I wanted to believe the latter but maybe she was both. All I knew was that she was in danger of more than she could comprehend and the worst part was I didn't think I could save her from it.

"Jade, what's going on?" she demanded, still trying to force herself into the room. I kept her out with a solid hold on the door.

"Leave me alone," I demanded with a threatening snarl. Tori froze momentarily but jumped back into action once again. She wasn't letting me go without an explanation as to why this was happening.

"Vega, move," I growled, glaring at her.

"Jade, I know you don't like letting people in, but now is not the time to keep me out. You need help and I just want to help you," she exclaimed desperately. I watched her with sad, stormy, blue-green eyes that would soon be a hateful yellow. I was still holding the door, afraid to let the worried half Latina in; not only into my room, but into my heart. Tori saw me trying to work out the conflict. A few seconds later I backed away from the door and let her in. Tori pushed it open and stood in the doorway curiously. I was definitely different and so was my room. It was still trashed and littered with claw marks that I could see made Tori uneasy. Warning bells must be going off in her head but she seemed to ignore them. I knew she could handle the transformation make-up but this was something else. I looked away first.

"Jade…" Tori spoke up carefully. She began moving forward but I kept putting distance between us. My frame trembled slightly under the strain of keeping myself from falling under Straker's control again.

"Tori, I think it's better if you come back tomorrow. I-I can't do this right now," I whispered with a shake of my head. I was never as vulnerable as I was now; not even when I broke up with Beck or realized I was sweating for the first time. She moved forward again, like she was trying to corner a scared animal. She didn't know how close to the truth that was.

"I just want to help you," Tori said quietly. She finally got close enough and reached out to hold my hand. I squeezed my eyes shut against the pain radiating from the ring. I pulled Tori into my arms and held her close.

"You don't know what you're getting into," I whispered.

"It doesn't matter. I'm here for you," Tori replied. She didn't understand but she still wanted to do whatever she could to help. Hell, why did she have to be like this? It wasn't making anything easier.

"Dammit Vega, you just never know when to quit," I said with a small humorless laugh and a shake of my head. Tori took note of the strange cadence of my voice and shivered. It sounded so full of desire and pain. Tori tightened her hold regardless and I reciprocated the gesture. She took her chance and jumped, the next thing she said catching me off guard.

"I love you," she said under her breath. I heard the words and my body tensed. Straker was furious. The ring made my hand feel like it was melting under the heat even though visually it wasn't doing a thing. My claws subconsciously flexed into Tori's skin. She yelped in surprise.

"Jade?" she inquired. I was starting to breathe heavily. I tipped Tori's head back so I could look into her eyes. Tori gasped when she saw my no doubt yellow irises. They were so different than my blue-green that it stopped Tori in her tracks.

"W-what happened to you?" she questioned, her fear finally getting the best of her. I felt her fingers tighten in mine.

"The ring," I responded, like it explained everything; which it did. Tori shook her head, not understanding. I sighed and held out my hand, baring the ring. The red was the same shade of crimson as Straker's eyes and glowed. Tori gasped.

"You've been acting weird since that ring," she commented. Suddenly, realization struck.

"You only liked me because of the ring, right? It's a side effect, or something," she accused, her voice portraying the onset of hurt. I frowned.

"No, I've always liked you Tori, I just treated you the way I did because I was in denial. This situation has nothing to do with how I feel. It just complicates it," I admitted. Tori looked relieved until she heard the last few words.

"Complicate? Jade, please tell me what's going on," she demanded, using the tone she rarely used when she meant business. I began to explain when the ring constricted on my finger, warning me not to continue. I growled and released Tori's hand to hold my own.

"He wants me to hurt you," I said almost too quietly for her to hear.

"Who?" Tori asked, grabbing a hold of my upper arms in anxiety.

"His name is Straker. He's a demon who possesses anyone who wears his ring. Every night he makes me…he-" I tried to explain through the pain. Tori looked completely confused. I groaned and pulled away from her, holding my head as Straker invaded my mind.

"Run Tori. You're in danger here," I snarled through my sharpening teeth. I pushed her away and she stumbled back, almost falling.

"Jade?" she whimpered. I growled at her in response. The next thing I knew I was stalking towards Tori, unable to stop myself. I couldn't help but think that our short film just became reality. Tears came to her eyes before she bolted out of the room. I heard her take the stairs and ran for the front door. She fumbled with the lock, which cost her. I caught up to her effortlessly and yanked her back. My claws tore her shirt and cut into her arm. She gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and pulled away. My nails dragged through her flesh but she was free.

She finally got the door open and dashed for her car. I sprinted to slam into her, making us both crash into the side of her car. My teeth snapped at her neck, just inches from actually causing any damage, but she managed to get out of the way in time. Tori pushed me away with a kick that made me stumble but that was all the time she needed. She got in her car, locked the doors, and then turned away to start it up. My claw shattered the glass as I tried to get at her and she screamed. I took a wild swipe that nicked her cheek, the small amount of blood hitting my nose with a scent I craved. The car started and she flew into reverse. I snarled angrily and stared at her retreating car as she drove away. It was then that Straker relented his hold on me and I fell to my knees in the driveway.

"You bastard," I gasped, out of breath from the sudden adrenaline high. When I could, I picked myself up and quickly returned inside. An alluring smell caught my attention when I shut the door. I lifted my hand to see Tori's blood coating my fingers. My eyes widened and I wasted no time tasting it. I couldn't help it. I moaned and then felt thoroughly disgusted with myself. I almost killed Tori. Straker almost got what he wanted and I couldn't do a damn thing about it. I clenched my hands in rage. When I looked up I spotted the camera on the TV. I walked over to turn it off, and as normal or unimportant as it seemed, I would edit what we filmed so the project would be done. I set it on a nearby shelf and stared at it, wishing I could have realized my feelings for Tori earlier.

Maybe then we would have had time together before this happened. I tried in vain to remove the ring again but it wouldn't so much as loosen. The sound of my dad's car pulled up and I ran for the back door without hesitation. I sprinted across my backyard and launched over the fence. I knew another innocent victim would soon feel my teeth in his or her throat, but strangely, that wasn't what worried me the most. What worried me was the inevitable fact that Tori would return. I knew she wouldn't abandon me even if she was in danger of dying. That was just simply who she was. I blocked out anymore thoughts and reluctantly let Straker have control. There was no point fighting it. I would overcome him in the end. I had to.

* * *

I woke up outside under a giant tree. The springy grass under me comforted my worn body. I was still healing of course but I felt better and knew why. I couldn't help tearing into those teens taking a walk to the movies. I didn't let myself think past that. In the end, their own parents wouldn't be able to recognize them. Straker was far more violent this time around. I knew it had to do with Tori. In my sleep I was surprisingly not beaten but congratulated for letting go and giving him control. He left me alone until I woke up. I sat up with a disgusted groan and took in my surroundings. I was in the park not too far from my house. I got to my feet, inspecting my blood splattered clothes. It was the first time I was heavily marked with the remnants of my nightly run.

A shiver ran down my spine and then I began to make my way home, careful to avoid being seen. I arrived through the back door and went straight to the bathroom. After a shower and a change of clothes, I sat down and put the scenes together. The one good thing to come out of last night was that we got very believable footage, which was believable because it was entirely real. I cut out anything the camera picked up on our conversation and replaced it with suspenseful music. After that was done, I sat on the couch and silently came up with plans to stop Straker. It didn't help that I knew he was mocking every idea I came up with. I didn't know how long I sat there but a knock on the door snapped me from my trance. I left my room and went to open the door without a second thought.

"Jade, let me in," Beck called through the door. I froze with my hand on the door handle.

"Jade, please," Tori joined in nervously. For a second, Straker's whispers of them backstabbing me made me unnecessarily skittish as a cornered wolf, but I ignored him and prepared to open the door. Tori wouldn't do that to me. There had to be a reason she brought Beck. I opened the door slowly anyway. Andre was there too, he had just stayed quiet. I looked to Tori for an explanation but she only stared back with concern.

"What are you guys doing here?" I questioned calmly.

"Tori's worried about you. We all are. Cat would have been here too but Tori wouldn't allow it for some reason, and Robbie…well, you know how he feels about you," Andre explained sheepishly. I only nodded and turned away, leaving the door open as a sign that they could come in.

"You don't look too good," Beck commented, reaching out to place a hand on my shoulder. My muscles tensed under his touch which had grown to be foreign to me. I automatically reacted. In a flash, I snatched his hand off my shoulder, spun around, and had him off his feet and against the wall, hanging by his neck.

"Don't touch me," I threatened. Straker laughed in my mind, his amusement smothering me like a cloying cloud of smoke that settled over me. He was the cause of my sudden uneasiness around people who I should consider friends. I trusted them, so why did I let him persuade me to think any differently? Andre rushed to help, freaked out at the turn of events no doubt, but both Tori and Beck told him to stay put. Beck had gone out with me long enough to know when to push and when to ease off. Hopefully that knowledge still applied to this new mindset I couldn't shake off.

"Jade, we aren't here to do anything but talk. In fact, we're here for moral support and protection for Tori. She told us you were…resorting to violence when you became angry," Beck ground out in a calm yet strained tone. I bared my teeth at him, even if they weren't as threatening in this form. I tried to communicate through my eyes a warning, one that told him that at this point I wasn't opposed to hurting him. I took a moment to reel in my conflicted emotions and slowly let Beck's feet touch the ground, but I didn't release him.

"You shouldn't be here," I cautioned. Tori tentatively stepped forward.

"We only want to help. Please Jade," she begged. Her hand shook as it reached between us to rest on one of my arms. I relaxed my grip on Beck and then retreated completely under her guidance. Straker was outraged that such an insignificant human could overcome his control on me. It was true. The way Tori made me feel overcame that dark pull within.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, backing away from Beck. He shook his head and rubbed at his neck.

"Don't worry about it," he replied. I moved to flop on the couch with a tired sigh. My hands came up to rub my eyes.

"I can't do this anymore," I confessed, my voice almost ragged with distress. The boys looked confused and concerned but said nothing. Tori sighed and went to sit by me.

"You can't give up," she tried to encourage me. I looked at her and frowned guiltily. The short sleeve shirt Tori wore when she removed her jacket revealed a bandage around her arm. The small cut on her cheek made me look away.

"What can we do to make him leave you alone?" Tori asked. Andre tilted his head in further confusion but Beck rolled his eyes. I knew he was here for moral support more than anything but he also still cared for me, just in a friendly way. He wanted to see me happy but I also knew he wasn't going to entertain the idea that some demon had control over me every night. Beck knew I could be a convincing actress when I wanted to be. He didn't forget the trick I played on Tori when we had to practice stage fighting. Andre might have just as much of a hard time believing Tori's story. Tori probably yelled at them to understand and even showed them her injury in order to get them to go with her but I knew it must have been hard to believe even after that so they came over with her but looked just as unconvinced. Those idiots.

"What does it matter? They probably think I'm making it up for attention," I said with a wave of my hand in their direction. Andre looked away but Beck didn't deny the claim.

"Well, so what? We're here to-" Tori began her response but I cut her off.

"Get the camera. You left it here. It's on that shelf," I pointed out. Tori returned with it.

"Play it," I commanded. Tori nodded and did as she was told. She passed it to the boys whose eyes widened more and more as they watched.

"Man, you guys are going to steamroll the rest of us," Andre admitted with praise. Tori glared at him in a way I would have if I wasn't in mental turmoil. I felt Tori take my hand in hers.

"What? What did I say?" Andre asked, confused.

"That was real," I spoke up. My voice lacked any of my usual snark or sarcasm. It was strangely flat and unlike me at all. It took Andre some time to understand before he cursed under his breath. Finally, some progress.

"Wait, so you guys didn't cut to apply make-up or…so that was really…" Beck tried to say. Their gazes landed on me and I sighed then sat up, making them both flinch. I didn't take offense seeing as they were seeing the change in me as clear as day.

"You could have killed Tori," Beck accused in a faraway tone. I looked away but nodded.

"And if you really believe me now, then I want you guys gone by nightfall. I can't have you in harm's way. I'm not fully in control when it happens," I warned them. Tori's hand tightened on mine at the sound of that. Andre and Beck watched me, apprehension clear in their eyes, but at the same time they still looked concerned. I couldn't look any of them in the eyes. Straker was eager to kill off more than one person I cared for and I didn't know if I could stop him.


	8. Which Girl Will You Get To Know

Beck, Andre, and Tori all agreed to spend the night regardless of what I said. There wouldn't be any school the next day and the only thing due was our project next week which we all had completed. The reason they were so adamant was to try and help me overcome Straker when he was the most powerful, which was at night. So, they all went home to pack and returned as soon as possible. I only hoped my dad decided today was the day he went to meet that one chick he sometimes went on dates with.

"Ok Jade, if you want we can lock you in your room. Thought it would be a good idea if we had you, oh I don't know, safely secure so you won't feel like we're in danger," Andre explained. I only nodded with acceptance. We had gathered in the living room for the time being. Beck and Andre kicked back on the couch while Tori lingered by me on another.

"So, what exactly…happens when you change?" Andre asked, moving his hands for further emphasis. Beck raised an eyebrow skeptically, Tori looked uncomfortable, and I laughed without humor.

"You aren't pulling our leg are you?" Beck tossed in.

"I'm sure you'll see Beckett," I replied, my old smirk returning to my face. Beck shifted but remained quiet. We spent the remaining hour getting something to eat and then watched TV. We remained quiet as we each tried to come up with a way to help. I leaned on Tori while I had the chance. I didn't want to be remotely near her when it got dark. As the hours progressed, I felt more and more anxiety creep up on me. I noticed it was the first thing to happen every night. I felt a twinge from the ring and sat up straight. The other three glanced at me.

I pushed Tori away who understood and got up to sit between the boys. I hastily got to my feet and ran for my room. I heard the boys and Tori follow behind me. What the hell were they doing? I stopped when I made it in and turned to shut the door but the ring stopped me, making me fall to my knees. Andre and Beck watched in a mix of curiosity and nerves. I dug my fingers into the floor tightly, my fingers slowly tearing into it when they became claws. I let out a low growl as my teeth sharpened. My eyes shot open to burn holes at the other three. Andre looked utterly frightened but Beck was shocked beyond belief.

"Jade?" he choked out. Tori backed away a little, knowing the danger present. Beck quickly slammed the door shut. I forced myself to find my padlock in a nearby drawer, closed the lock on the old rings I had installed on the door back when I hated the very thought of having no privacy due to people barging in, and spun the dial all before Straker had control again.

"Smart of you to take precautions, but it won't hold me for long. I'll find a way to get out," I threatened through the door, unable to stop the flow of words Straker forced out of my mouth.

"I need a breather," Andre confessed, his footsteps retreating down the stairs. I listened carefully to hear someone shift uncomfortably. Both Tori and Beck were still right outside the door. I had the horrible feeling that I could, in this state, somehow trick Beck into false security. Straker tapped into my thoughts and I knew that was exactly what he would make me do.

"You believe Tori when she said I would hurt you? How could I hurt  **you**  Beck? I will always love you," I stated, an air of faux innocence laced in my words. I struggled with my own voice, trying to keep myself from saying anything more, but I couldn't stop the flow of poisonous words. I could hear the slight sound the handle made when Beck's heavy hand touched it. I knew it was Beck because Tori was too thoroughly convinced that I was dangerous. I heard her take in a breath to possibly stop him but the jarring sound of me dragging a claw down the door shut her up. Beck however, remained entranced on his goal of letting me out.

"Beck," Tori squeaked out. His confusion in the form of hesitance was almost palpable through the divider between us but I managed to get his attention back quickly.

"I miss you Beck," I told him, my sickly sweet voice nothing like the real me would ever use. Tori was panicking now, evident by a whine, because the sound of Beck's hand being yanked off the handle told me she was tugging at his arm. My smirk curled and I fought to remove it but failed.

"Beck!" Tori screamed. He seemed to snap out of it because I heard him take a few steps away. I growled behind the door. Beck sucked in a sharp breath. I snarled at Tori angrily.

"Whoa, that was close," Beck mumbled.

"Don't think that's all I can do," I threatened them.

"Jade, stop it! You need to fight back!" Tori yelled back at me. I shook my head and then held a claw to my temple; the pain getting worse when I tried to do as she said.

"I can't," I replied helplessly, my voice returning to normal for just those few words. I heard a set of footsteps leave. There was a pause and then the second set followed. I slid to rest against the door and hugged my legs to my body. I rested my head on my knees and listened with acute senses as the group convened downstairs. They were right under me with a whole floor between us but I heard them perfectly.

"I can't help but feel like the cartoon Tom and Jerry. Remember when Tom was on the other side of that line he drew in the sand to show how far the bulldog could go while he was tied to his dog house? We all know that dog gets him eventually…" Andre commented.

"I would have found that clever and humorous if it was used in a whole other situation, but it's still true, isn't it?" Tori spoke up.

Meanwhile, I was up and pacing in my room, refusing to let Straker see the code to the lock on the door. I knew in the back of my mind that these were my friends, but that quickly overpowering force said otherwise. I distracted myself with the noise going on downstairs. Back at the living room, Andre and Beck getting up to find something to eat, as the familiar sounds were coming from the kitchen. Careful tracking told me Tori hadn't joined them so she must still be in the living room.

"There isn't really anything here so we're going out," Andre said.

"You'll be ok, right?" Beck added.

"Yeah," Tori answered. I heard them leave and then zeroed in on Tori who got up to climb the stairs. Probably to try and confront me again. Tori didn't even need to say a thing when she finally arrived at the door and sat leaning against the wall. I could practically sense her there, her warm body so close yet out of reach.

"You know how much I want you Tori?" I mused to the other girl. I heard her shift against the door in conflict but it soon gave way to a frustrated scoff.

"I won't fall for any of your tricks just so you can eat me. You aren't Jade," she shot back. My response was a cold laugh.

"I thought you would have liked that," I replied slyly, shuddering at my own words that I hadn't meant to say but was forced to anyway. Tori stayed quiet in what I figured was confusion until realization hit and she gasped. She was most likely fighting a blush. She, like me, was probably strangely excited and disgusted at the idea. I smiled knowingly when she didn't reply. She must not have had anything more to say to that so she left with an irritated huff. Now that I was alone again, Straker set to work prying at my thoughts. I grit my teeth in pain but slowly he pulled the needed information from me. He forced me to input it and wrench the door open. I darted for the stairs but skid to a stop when I heard the boys talking on the way up. They were back. I rushed down the stairs in order to catch them unaware. Tori followed behind them and looked up at that moment. She instantly alerted them.

"Watch out!" she shouted. Both boys turned just as I advanced. I sent Andre flying with a single shove and then grabbed the front of Beck's shirt and slammed him against the wall.

"Your turn pretty boy," I hissed. Andre and Tori ran and tackled me before I could further harm him. I lashed at Andre, cutting him across the chest. I grabbed Tori by the neck and threw her at him to keep them down. Beck stood only for me to rush at him. He caught me by the wrists and held me back. Before I knew it he twisted my arms behind my back and had me on my knees. I didn't stay down though. I shot to my feet, taking Beck with me. I flipped him over me so that he was splayed out on the floor. Andre stopped me from attacking again by wrapping his arms around my shoulders to restrain my arms. I bit into his arm and he immediately let go. I spun and grabbed him then threw him into the wall, knocking him out. Beck was up by now and ready to restrain me again with Tori by his side.

I knocked Tori away and pounced on Beck. He attempted a blow but hesitated so I was able to block it, cutting into his arm, and slammed him to the floor roughly to latch a claw on his neck. They dug in until blood was drawn and he began to fall unconscious. His frantic grip did nothing to loosen my tight hold on him. Soon, he fell under. Tori picked herself up and ran over to grab me in a chokehold. She had mentioned that it was the only thing that calmed a struggling Trina but I doubted it would work now. She dragged me away from Beck but I managed to slip out of her hold. With a snarl I leaped at her, causing us to fall backward over the couch and tumble to the floor on the other side. I held her down and sunk my teeth into her shoulder. Tori cried out in pain, the sound so sharp and cutting, it finally made me come to my senses. I pulled away, shock and guilt plain on my face.

"Fuck, Tori…" I gasped. I couldn't deny loving the taste of her blood but the tortured sound of her pain shocked me out of whatever hold Straker had on me. He screamed at me to kill her but I fought back. I managed to ignore him as I leaned down to hold a hand to the vicious bite torn into her skin. The normally tan girl was slowly growing pale.

"Jade, it's you," she whispered, a faint smile on her lips. Her searching hand found my free hand and squeezed it. I squeezed back.

"Kind of late don't you think?" she asked me, trying to smile but it turned into a grimace. I was frantically looking for something to stop the bleeding so I only had time to shake my head.

"No, it isn't too late. Stay awake Tori," I pleaded when her eyes began to flutter shut.

"Jade, just stop," she disagreed, shaking her head sluggishly.

"No, you can't leave me. I-I love you…" I confessed, tears of frustration and sadness coating every word. Tori grinned but it twisted in pain. I stripped off my button up to reveal the black tank top I wore under. I wound it under Tori and back up over her shoulder to tie it tightly so that it pressed on the wound. Tori hissed in pain from the pressure. The blood spread over the shirt before slowing down. A plan formed in my mind and then I set it into motion. I ran to the back door and opened it with my clean left hand before sprinting outside and shutting it. I gathered my strength and then slammed my foot into the door, making it fly off the hinges and hit the wall behind it. I then called 911. I stayed by Tori until they arrived.

"I…" Tori whispered, her voice nothing but a croak.

"Stop talking," I commanded. Tori shook her head.

"...love you," she said next, a weak smile on her face. I let my tears fall freely. I leaned down and kissed her, the normally warm half Latina barely responding, her lips cold. I pulled away to see Tori maintaining the slight smile on her face even though her eyes were threatening to close. I growled at the ring which literally burned into my skin this time. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air followed by my hands returning to normal. The sharp teeth retracted as well. Soon, Tori was looking into my blue-green eyes, the very same she had told me were beautiful, my own eyes that gazed at her with no trace of hate. The sirens came into earshot just as I heard the unmistakable sound of an enraged Straker who quickly faded away. The next minute, people were swarming us, asking me questions, and carting away my friends. I drove myself to the hospital as soon as I found out I wasn't allowed to ride in the ambulance.

At the hospital I was questioned by police. I explained that these people in masks broke in and tortured us. When I was questioned how Tori had a deep bite mark, I quickly relied on the only thriller movie I could remember off that bat that involved a murderer who changed his teeth during a crime; Red Dragon. I shuddered at the similarities between myself and the movie but moved on to say they were scared away at the sound of the approaching sirens. It was a long shot but I had nothing else to go on and I was too worried about my friends to come up with anything better than that. On the plus side, there was no evidence against me so I was pretty much certain that I couldn't be contradicted. My dad was contacted before a doctor saw me. He really was on a date with that chick, just as I thought. I was soon called in and they examined my finger to report the ring had to be removed.

"Whatever. Just remove it then," I replied a little hastily, knowing this. It still hurt every once in a while but I mostly wanted it off before Straker could come back.

"You don't understand. You see, when we tried to simply tug on it, well, it seems to be melted into the skin. As you know we took x-rays which showed us that the ring is actually embedded in your bone as well," the doctor explained slowly, seeing if I would catch on. He looked confused but certain.

"You have to remove the finger…" I realized with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The doctor nodded, eyes apologetic.

"Most of the finger is dead. You haven't been able to move it so there's definitely nerve damage. The finger won't bend easy and the x-rays show the bone itself has fused. What did you say caused this?" the doctor asked.

"Some lunatics broke into my house and tortured me and my friends," I mumbled simply, giving no more information than that. The doctor hummed in thought before nodding and leaving to set up instructions for the surgery. I was allowed to see Beck and Andre before I went in. They were both fine now that they were all patched up. They had no lasting damage which was a small relief. I only had time to tell them the story I made up before I was taken away. As I lied on the surgery table, the only thoughts running through my head was that I wanted desperately to see Tori and hoped that she was ok. The anesthesia kicked in and I fell under to the first peaceful sleep I had in days.

* * *

I woke up in an unfamiliar stark white room and then remembered that I was in the hospital. I groaned and shifted. I looked around to see Cat, Beck, and Andre lounging on chairs and watching the news on the small TV in the room. I smiled and cleared my throat. They all looked at me and stood to crowd around my bed.

"Here you go Jade," Cat said, offering me water in a small paper cup. I downed it appreciatively.

"How are you guys?" I asked, needing to know.

"Never been better," Beck replied teasingly. Andre nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry," I told them, looking down at my bandaged left hand. The middle finger was now gone along with the cursed ring. I was free at the expense of my finger. Beck saw my train of thought and placed a hand over my non-bandaged hand.

"We understand," he replied. I nodded and then moved on to my next constant worry.

"Where's Tori?" I asked. Cat smiled happily.

"She's ok. She lost a lot of blood but otherwise she was lucky not to have lost as much as she could have. Not like that one time with my brother…" Cat spoke up. She rambled on and I didn't mind. Beck cut in not too long after though.

"The news has been reporting a string of deaths involving a lunatic who's attacking by biting and draining the victims of blood. I think it's perfectly safe to say we'll put our case with those seeing as we do have something in common. The news urges anyone not to linger alone at night," he told me. I looked away warily. Those deaths were my fault as well. At least there wouldn't ever be another one.

"Hey, don't feel guilty. It wasn't you," Andre assured me calmly. I only let it be true for the sake of my mental health. They hung around a moment longer before they had to go. I was released not too long later. They instructed me and my dad on what was needed to treat my hand, gave me painkillers and antibiotics, and then told me not to get it wet until it was fully healed and the stitches removed. Before I could leave however, I was allowed in to see Tori. The beautiful half Latina was sitting in bed watching the news which seemed to be the only channel available here. I walked in uncertainly, but when Tori saw me, she smiled and her face lit up. She held up her arms like old times and I wasted no time rushing into her embrace. Everything was going to be okay.


	9. Epilogue

Tori and I sat in a cleaned up version of my room. I was leaning against my pillows and Tori was leaning back on me. Her head rested on my shoulder and if I glanced down I could see the scar covering her shoulder. Her tank top revealed both the marks of the bite and the cuts on her arm. The boys were marked the same way with their own now healed injuries. I ran a hand over the bite mark softly before tilting Tori's head up so I could kiss her. We had just gotten back to my house from school.

Sikowitz freaked out over our project. Everyone except those involved thought it was amazing. Only Tori, Beck, Andre, and I were aware of just how real it was. Seeing it from a third person perspective made me just as uncomfortable. Tori held my hand throughout the whole class and I only felt slightly better when Sikowitz gave us a perfect score. The whole thing was forgotten however when Tori dragged me off to the janitor's closet for a heated make out session to get my mind off it and make me feel better, which it did. I smiled at the memory but was brought back to the present by Tori.

"Do you ever find yourself thinking about it?" she whispered. I thought she meant everything that happened but Tori was running her fingers lightly over my left hand softly. I shrugged.

"Sometimes, I feel like it's still there, and I can feel the pain, but then I remember that it isn't," I replied. I flexed my hand, moving the remaining four fingers.

"Then again, the only downside is I can't flip anyone off with my left hand anymore. Whatever, I still have my right," I pointed out, holding up my perfectly offensive right middle finger as an example. My attempt at humor was not lost on Tori who laughed.

"I can't believe they let you keep it," she commented with repugnance. I chuckled, knowing her face was scrunched in her usual disgusted expression she directed at the things I found fascinating. We glanced over at the added jar to my collection. After all the trouble the ring gave me, I still got something to add to my shelf. It was a memory and a reminder. The new jar, containing the ring still on my removed finger, was placed by another jar of mysterious origin I had gotten in the past. Tori grew quiet suddenly before hesitantly asking her next question. She knew that I didn't react well to any question about the demon known as Straker, but she asked anyway. Knowing her, she just had to know.

"How was he finally stopped?" she wondered. I frowned, my earlier smile sliding off my face.

"This might sound cheesy but…I don't think he could stand something as pure as love," Tori continued, shyly sharing her idea. Well, he did make an effort to kill Tori. He must have known. I looked down at her curiously, resisting the urge to tease her.

"Well think about it. After we told each other, it burst into flame and the metal grew so hot it melted through skin and bone. I'll bet he tried so hard to stop you that it backfired, banishing him forever. It was too strong for him," she explained unabashedly. I laughed and hugged my girlfriend close.

"Remind me to take you with me every time I decide to pick out some ancient piece of jewelry. We can make out to exorcise whatever demon hates the power of love," I joked, burying my face in my girl's neck. Tori laughed and I kissed the scar at her shoulder.

"I think you should just lay off old stuff like that and go back to pinning bugs to a board or something," Tori advised, appreciating the beautifully delicate butterflies I had hung up.

"I should, shouldn't I?" I replied. It was the safer choice after all. Tori nodded.

"Ok, sounds good to me. That ring was the worst sixty bucks I ever spent anyway," I commented. Tori chuckled and nodded again in agreement. She intertwined our hands, two fingers sharing a space were my finger used to be, when our left hands matched up. She reached up and met my lips with her own in a gentle caress. I returned the kiss with as much love as I could. I already came close to losing her and I wouldn't make the same mistake twice. When we parted, out of breath, we relaxed into the comfortable bed and looked out the now almost always open window. The darkness wasn't the same to me. I came to appreciate the light, warmth, and sun. It wasn't just life sustaining but it also reminded me of my own personal sun sitting with me at the moment. Tori saved me in more ways than one. We sat together, happily enjoying the sun's rays in content silence. I let myself get lost in the way Tori made me feel and I knew she was doing the same. I let my eyes slide shut as a grin lit up my face.


End file.
